Students can earn up to $5,000 this summer for volunteer service

Post-secondary students will be eligible to earn up to $5,000 this summer through a volunteer service grant.

The federal government launched a new program today aimed at encouraging students to volunteer in the fight against COVID-19 — more than two months after first announcing it, and just in time for those who haven’t been able to find a summer job.

“Students are facing unique challenges this summer due to the pandemic. At the same time, many are wondering how they can help in the fight against COVID-19,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a news conference in Ottawa.

“So, today, we’re launching the new Canada student service grant, which will allow post-secondary students and recent grads to gain valuable experience while also contributing to their communities.”

The grant will be worth between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on the number of hours completed. For every 100 hours worked, the student is eligible for $1,000, which means someone must volunteer 500 hours to receive the full grant.

The program opens today and runs until Oct. 31, 2020. Students and recent graduates who are 30 years old and others.

Back in April, Trudeau announced the creation of the Canada student service grant, a way of giving students who can’t find a summer job a chance to earn some money while volunteering in “national service” activities related to fighting the pandemic.

The amount of each grant is dependent on the time devoted to volunteer work.

The grant program was part of a multi-pronged, $9-billion investment by the federal government to cushion the economic impact of the pandemic on young people.

“Volunteering can be a fantastic way to build skills, make contacts or just give back,” Trudeau said at the time. “If you’re volunteering instead of working, we’re going to make sure that you have support too.”

Ever since, students and organizations that rely on volunteers have been anxiously awaiting details, worried that the window for their summer activities was rapidly narrowing.

Today’s launch of the “I want to help” online platform provides details on the grant.

It will also include a list of not-for-profit organizations for which volunteer work will be compensated.

CBC