UPPER CANADA DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

What You Need To Graduate

The Ontario Ministry of Education sets out specific requirements for students, outlining the courses and credits they need to graduate high school with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

What is needed to graduate depends on what year the student started Grade 9. Visit the Ministry of Education’s website using the links below to get the most up-to-date information.

• If you started Grade 9 in or before Fall 2023
• If you started Grade 9 in Fall 2024 and after

• Financial literacy requirement for students starting Grade 9 in 2025-26 school year or later
• Literacy requirement for all secondary students
  
• Online learning requirements

Mandatory Community Involvement

All secondary students are required to complete 40 hours of community involvement/volunteer hours in order to graduate. 

Starting in the 2025-26 school year, students who graduate with more than 50 volunteer hours will receive a Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement. This new certificate celebrates a student's dedication to helping others.

General Guidelines for Community Involvement/Volunteer Hours

• Students cannot be paid for their time.
• These activities must take place outside of class time (i.e. lunch hour, before/after school and weekends).
• It must not be part of a credit course including work experiences related to credits (i.e. co-op, job shadowing, work experience).
• All 40 hours must be completed by the end of Grade 12. 
• Grade 8 students may collect hours in the summer that spans Grade 8 and Grade 9.

Getting Started

1. Plan an activity in consultation with your parent(s)/guardian(s). The activity should involve service to others and should be on the UCDSB's list of eligible activities. If the planned activity is not covered by the list of eligible activities, you must confirm eligibility with your school's Guidance staff or principal before proceeding. 

2. Confirm the details of the activity with your chosen community sponsor.

3. Track your hours and give all required details of the volunteering activity on the Community Involvement Form. Once the activity is complete, submit the form to your Guidance office for report card entry.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you have a minimum of 40 hours for your diploma. Consider going beyond the 40 hour requirement, as extra volunteer hours can strengthen applications for scholarships, jobs, post-secondary programs, and future opportunities.

Contact your School Guidance team with additional questions about community involvement and obtaining your required hours. 

Useful Links