Students attending high school in Canada are not only required to get on-campus credit for their courses, but they are also required to meet a certain number of hours of volunteer service before they can graduate. The province of Ontario requires students to complete 40 hours of volunteer work in order to receive an Ontario high school diploma. For many international students, they do not know how to sign up for volunteer service or what channels to use to get information about volunteer activities. Our club helps students find volunteer activities to help people in need and learn more about the local culture.
While completing the volunteer program in the time required by the Department of Education will earn a high school diploma, it may not be enough time for college applications and future employment. Although colleges recruit students based on academic achievement, they also value volunteer and extracurricular activities. Imagine a student who has only completed the required 40 hours of volunteer work versus a student who has completed 100 hours of volunteer work, he or she will not have any advantage. This is especially true for the most competitive schools such as Daodu, UBC, and Queen’s, which value extracurricular experience. The more involved in volunteering, the more the school will see the student as having a positive attitude and a willingness to help others, not just someone who is focused on their own life.