All education is mandatory.
It’s the experience that students have through their scholastic lives that helps them find their interests, passions, and role in life. A great Science teacher inspires new scientists — even though taking that Science 8 class is mandatory.
In the same vein, the benefit of requiring volunteer experience to graduate lies in the experience these young volunteers have.
At Community Volunteer Connections, many youth are volunteering in our CVC Flying Squad, which connects people to short-term volunteer opportunities in our community.
My favourite quote from one Flying Squad teen who volunteered at a local arts festival was “I thought it would be lame, but it was actually really cool”.
She, and many other of our Flying Squad teens, are volunteering well beyond their requirements because, hey, it’s fun!
That’s the potential of requiring volunteerism as part of education — when we involve people in meaningful volunteer opportunities, they have fun, and want to volunteer more. No downside there.
Stacy Ashton, Executive Director, Community Volunteer Connections
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