Student Life

Service

Service activities at the College come in many forms, and are grounded in the creation of equitable partnerships endeavouring to uphold the dignity of all.
—John Sweetman, Director of Community Service, Clubs and the IB's Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) Program

Philosophy of Service

Service activities at the College come in many forms, and are grounded in the creation of equitable partnerships endeavouring to uphold the dignity of all.

What is service and how do we teach it? At Upper Canada College it doesn’t simply mean helping those in need. Service is an actual personality trait we strive to ingrain, so boys can become better humans — here on the sports field or with their friends — and eventually as active and engaged members of larger communities, as adults in their world.

Through our service and service learning programs, boys learn more about themselves, their identities and the contribution they can make to our world.

List of 4 items.

Green School

We are stewards of the earth’s resources for the benefit of all, and it is our collective responsibility to care for these resources now and for future generations.

At the Upper School, students conduct independent studies as a part of the Diploma Programme requirements, dealing with various aspects of sustainability on UCC campus, for example, recycling efficiency, food waste, idling in parking lot and the carbon footprint of our athletic teams. As well, as part of their environmental geography studies, they have the opportunity to conduct aquatic environmental fieldwork at the Norval Outdoor School and surrounding region.

At the Preparatory School, Years 4 through 7 boys help harvest produce from the Learning Garden and sell it at Association Day. During Earth Week each April, activities include plant and compost sales and a green transportation challenge organized through their colour houses.
Norval

Students work together as a community while at the Norval Outdoor School. There, service means consistent efforts to improve and conserve its environment. There is a long history of tree planting, and students have worked to build cabins in the red pine forest, cookout shelters and a solar cabin. As well, Year 8 service projects have included eradicating invasive species, building trails on the new property and clearing post-ice storm debris. After significant flooding from an ice jam in the Credit River last year, the Year 5s helped to clean up the flood plane, after lots of garbage washed up.
Clubs

There are more 60 clubs and student organizations at UCC and many of them feature a service component. At the Preparatory School, Sprouts Club, Eco-Warriors and an after-school club, as well as a Sustainability Club at the Upper School, work to learn about all aspects of gardening, ecological techniques and to promote sustainable behaviour. Students can also take action and make a difference with the Amnesty International Club, Black History Club and many more.
Curriculum

UCC is proud to have the Creativity, Activity, Service component as a required component of the IB Diploma Programme. As part of the Service requirement, students can take part in individual projects or join team-based service projects andservice clubs. Service opportunities range from local to national and international projects, and from short-term to year-long commitments. Boys can work at a local food bank or seniors’ home, volunteer with our Horizons tutoring program for public schools in priority neighbourhoods or volunteer with not-for-profit organization.

At the Preparatory School, service opportunities manifest as part of the IB's Primary Years Programme's (PYP) Action component. Each inquiry unit has an extension to an action, whether it’s planting in the learning garden or a visit to a seniors’ residence. Also, as part of the final PYP Exhibition, students conduct an independent inquiry into a topic, then take action on it. For example, they may conduct a yard waste survey or do an audit of campus accessibility.