Clean up the Bay a high school volunteer hours investment
By Jake Davies - West Carleton Online
CONSTANCE BAY – As the global COVID-19 pandemic enters its 15th months, no one has been challenged more by the situation than school students.
Schools close and open monthly, at-home learning is causing disengagement, and for high school students, getting the mandated amount of volunteer hours in order to graduate has been difficult to say the least. In a year when all community events were cancelled and volunteer opportunities have dried up, finding volunteer hours has been challenging.
The Ministry of Education reduced the required hours of community involvement for students graduating in the 2020-2021 school year. For this year, graduating students only need to complete 20 hours of community involvement.
“This action demonstrates graduating students have had barriers to earning their community involvement hours last year and will continue to have barriers this year,” the ministry released in a statement.
Well, the Constance and Buckham’s Bay Community Association (CBBCA) is going to kill two COVID-19 birds with one stone.
For the second year in a row the CBBA’s annual Clean Up the Bay Day has had to be postponed due to the pandemic. But CBBCA board member and Clean up the Bay Day organizer Ruth McKlusky says despite the opportunity to host an official event, there will be an opportunity to spruce up the community and get official volunteer hours.
“Does your teen need to complete their community service hours in order to graduate?” McKlusky released in a statement yesterday (June 6). “They can help clean up Constance Bay. I will supervise them, on behalf of the community association, and provide gloves and garbage bags. Applicable health guidelines will be followed for this physically distanced volunteer opportunity. Although COVID-19 precludes a CBBCA-driven Clean Up the Bay event this year folks are encouraged to help Clean Up the Bay on their own. Fellow dog walkers and beach lovers have at it.”
For more information you can contact Ruth McCluskey by email: ruth.mcklusky@sympatico.ca.
