Get what you give

Those mandatory volunteer hours are more than a high school rite of passage – they’re a chance to learn about community needs, explore new and longstanding interests and even test out future career paths

 

 

As soon as St-Laurent Academy’s Grade 8 students graduate in the spring, Tim Mook Sang encourages them to start working on their volunteer hours right away – even over the summer.

“We do a presentation for our Grade 8s and give them advice and direction on how to get started working towards the required 40 hours of volunteer time,” says Mook Sang, the high school principal at St-Laurent Academy.

 

 

The hardest part of the process for most students? Making connections in the community, says Mook Sang.

“Sometimes a student might have a particular interest or field they’d like to volunteer in,” says Mook Sang, “but they just don’t know how to find the right person to speak with.”

Mook Sang says that while it’s good for students to pursue something that interests them, thinking outside the box can help expand their view of the world.

“If a student is still struggling to find volunteer opportunities, the Academy community can help out,” he says. High school students can work with students in the younger grades – for example, helping a kindergarten gym class.

Occasionally, parents can provide an opportunity if they are involved in coaching a sport or team.

“One of the best ways to get experience – and potentially a job in the future – is to volunteer at a summer camp,” says Mook Sang. “That kind of volunteer experience looks good on a resume.”

Mook Sang says that the volunteer experience gives students confidence, a look at how the real world operates, and helps students understand the community they belong to.

“We encourage our Grade 8s to do some research, find out about different organizations they could volunteer with and find out how they can fit in,” he says. “The Academy can help vet an organization for values and standards.”

For a student, getting five to 10 volunteer hours under their belts before they even start Grade 9 can be a tremendous advantage, says Mook Sang. 

At Westboro International Academy, 2026 marks the fourth year its Grade 7 and 8 students have been able to apply for a junior camp counsellor position at the school’s annual two-week summer camp.

“We put them through a real-world process,” says Chantale Bessette, director of admissions at Westboro International Academy. “They have to submit an application and go through an interview to be considered for one of the eight positions. It really mirrors what a job search is like.”

 

 

Bessette says that the experience reinforces responsibility, professionalism and helps students build their communication skills. “Every student that applies gets constructive feedback after their interview,” says Bessette. “The successful candidates in Grade 8 can use these hours towards their high school volunteer hours.”

Westboro International Academy also created a lunch monitor program that was very successful for Grade 7 and 8 students. “All of our older students wanted to participate,” says Bessette. “They were assigned a classroom in our JK to Grade 4 classes and supervised the lunch period. And the Grade 8s earned some volunteer hours as well as leadership responsibilities.”

Bessette says the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from both students and their parents.

“Many of the students have already re-applied for the camp for next year,” says Bessette. “And the parents really appreciated that their kids are getting a meaningful volunteer experience in an environment they know. It’s been a win-win for everyone.”  

Executive director of Volunteer Ottawa Jessie-Lee Wallace advises students in Grades 8 and 9 to get a jump on the volunteer experience by creating an account with Volunteer Ottawa. It is a great start towards getting those 40 hours of volunteer time they’ll need to graduate, says Wallace, adding that Volunteer Ottawa has excellent opportunities and advice for youth on its website.

 

 

They’ll also end up with solid connections to volunteer positions. “If a student is headed to Grade 9 in the fall, my best advice is to make a plan for getting those hours,” says Wallace. “Even if you only volunteer somewhere once or twice a year, get that organized and you’ll be surprised how quickly those volunteer hours can add up.”

Wallace says that Volunteer Ottawa ensures that community groups or non-profits that are seeking volunteers are safe places to volunteer. She encourages both volunteers and their parents to questions about the organizations where they’d like to contribute.

“We really focus at Volunteer Ottawa to make sure that our youth and young volunteers are set up for success,” says Wallace. “We want them to make those connections and learn responsibility and skills that can maybe even lead to a paying job.”

In some cases, students even have an option to volunteer alongside family members.

“Parents and youth can actually volunteer together,” she says. “I think that’s a wonderful way to show commitment to the community we live in, and a parent and youth get quality time together – everybody wins.”  

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Useful websites

st-laurentacademy.com/leadership/  

westboroacademy.com/

volunteerottawa.ca/volunteer/youth-and-volunteering/