Thursday, June 21, 2012
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
Ontario Youth Set Volunteering Record
The results are in, and they send an inspiring message about youth action in Ontario.
A record-breaking 28,000 high school students from across the province decided to make a difference in their communities by participating in the 2012 ChangeTheWorld Ontario Youth Volunteer Challenge. This year's campaign ran from April 15 to May 6.
Park clean-ups, urban beautification, fashion and variety shows for seniors - all this and more were planned and delivered by youth in more than 450 communities, working with their schools, local volunteer centres and community agencies. Over the three-week campaign, youth contributed an outstanding 124,000 volunteer hours - equal to 60 years of work.
2012 marked the fifth year for the ChangeTheWorld Challenge, a partnership between the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Volunteer Centre Network. The campaign reflects the McGuinty government's commitment to supporting and sustaining Ontario's strong volunteer traditions.
Quotes:
"I am proud of the youth in our province for getting out there and making positive change in their communities. It gives us great hope for the future of volunteerism, which is woven deeply into our values and quality of life as a province. Congratulations and thank you to all who participated!"
- Hon. Charles Sousa, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
"After ChangeTheWorld, thousands of youth in Ontario have learned more about their local communities, schools and themselves through volunteerism. This is an incredible achievement and a huge win for Ontario youth and for the voluntary sector."
- Armin Forouzan, CTW Provincial Coordinator, Ontario Volunteer Centre Network
Quick Facts:
- More than 63,000 students have participated in ChangeTheWorld since 2008 when the campaign first launched. The number of partner volunteer organizations grew from 7 to 25.
- More than 300 schools from over 60 different school boards participated this year.
- The Ontario Volunteer Service Awards have just concluded, this year recognizing over 10,000 Ontario volunteers.
Learn More:
Media Contacts:
Indira Naidoo-Harris
Minister’s Office
416-325-6205
James Bertrand
Communications Branch
416-314-7396
james.bertrand@ontario.ca
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