Training Seminars are listed and registered for on our workshops page, right at the top. Pick the date and format that suit you and sign up in a couple of taps.
The MiVolunteer Training Seminar is the standing onboarding session every MiVolunteer volunteer is welcome to complete. It is offered on a rolling basis in person, virtually, and in hybrid format across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, and it is always the same core curriculum so you know exactly what you are signing up for.
In about ninety minutes we cover who we are and how we work, the rights you hold and the responsibilities you take on as a volunteer, health and safety on placement, our code of conduct, how we handle your privacy, how we make placements accessible, and the practical mechanics of logging hours and using your volunteer portal.
When a member of our recruitment and training staff checks you in and later checks you out of a full session, your profile is marked "Trained by MiVolunteer" and you receive a confirmation by email. You only need to complete the seminar once.
MiVolunteer is a volunteer agency serving the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. We connect people who want to give their time with community organizations that need it, and we support both sides of that match from first application through to recognized, logged hours.
Volunteering is a two-way relationship. You bring your time, skills, and goodwill; we and our partner organizations owe you a clear role, a safe environment, proper orientation and supervision, and honest recognition for what you contribute. This seminar sets out both halves of that relationship so nothing about volunteering with us is a surprise.
As a volunteer you have the right to be treated as a valued member of the team, to receive a clear description of your role, to be screened and placed fairly, to get the orientation and training your role calls for, to be supervised and supported, to work in a safe and respectful environment, and to have your contribution recognized. These expectations follow the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement, the national standard for how organizations should engage volunteers.
In return, you take on responsibilities: to be reliable and to communicate if plans change, to act within the role and the boundaries you have been given, to respect the people you serve and the confidentiality of their information, to follow the health and safety and conduct rules of the placement, and to ask when you are unsure. Volunteering is a commitment, and you are accountable to the organization the same way it is accountable to you.
You are never required to do a task you have not been trained for or that you reasonably believe is unsafe. Speaking up is part of doing the role well, not a failure to do it.
Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act sets out three basic rights that protect people at work, and MiVolunteer applies the same spirit to every placement. The right to know means you should be informed of known or likely hazards and given the information, instruction, and supervision needed to stay safe. The right to participate means you can raise safety concerns and have a say in how they are addressed. The right to refuse means you may decline work you believe endangers your health or safety, or someone else's.
Before you start, make sure you know the emergency exits and procedures for the site, who your on-site contact is, and how to report a hazard or injury. If something feels unsafe, stop, and tell your supervisor or MiVolunteer staff right away. Report every injury or near miss, however minor, so it can be looked at.
Use any protective equipment a placement provides, follow the site's safe-work procedures, and do not take on physical tasks beyond what your role and your own comfort allow.
We ask every volunteer to act with honesty, respect, and good judgment. Treat the people you serve, fellow volunteers, staff, and the public with dignity. Show up when you say you will, represent MiVolunteer and our partners well, and keep clear, appropriate boundaries with the people in your care.
Discrimination, harassment, bullying, and any form of abuse are never acceptable. Do not attend a placement under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Do not use your role for personal gain or to promote outside causes without approval.
If you witness or experience conduct that concerns you, report it. You can raise it with your on-site supervisor or contact MiVolunteer directly at [email protected]. Concerns are taken seriously and handled with discretion.
You may see personal information about the people you serve, about other volunteers, or about the organizations you work with. Treat it as confidential. Only collect, use, or share personal information as your role requires, and never repeat it outside the placement or post it online.
MiVolunteer holds your own information - contact details, application history, and logged hours - to run the volunteer program and to give you recognition for your service. We keep it securely and use it only for those purposes. You can view and update your details, and manage what we email you, from your account settings at any time.
Everyone has the right to take part free from discrimination and harassment. The Ontario Human Rights Code protects people on grounds that include race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, and disability. We build our placements to be welcoming across all of them.
Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, we work to remove barriers so volunteers with disabilities can participate fully. If you need an accommodation - a different format for materials, a change to how a task is done, an accessible location, or anything else - tell us. Ask your placement contact or email [email protected], and we will work with you and the host organization to make it happen.
Your volunteer hours matter, for the organizations you help, for the recognition and references you earn, and for requirements such as the forty hours of community involvement Ontario high-school students complete. MiVolunteer keeps a running record of your hours in your portal.
Hours are recorded when you check in and out on site, or when they are logged and approved for your placement. Always confirm your hours look right, and raise anything missing with your supervisor or MiVolunteer staff. Approved hours can be turned into a certificate you can download and share.
Your portal is where volunteering with us comes together. From it you can browse and apply to opportunities, register for MiWorkshops and this Training Seminar, see your upcoming shifts, track your logged and approved hours, download certificates, and keep your profile and contact details current.
You also control what we email you. From your account settings you can choose which notifications you receive - reminders, recommendations, and announcements - and change your mind whenever you like. Keeping your profile complete, especially your city and interests, helps us recommend opportunities that actually fit you.
Read these before a session or keep them for reference. They are free to download and share.
The full participant guide covering everything in the seminar, to read or keep.
Download PDFA one-look handout on your rights, responsibilities, safety, and who to contact.
Download PDFThe rights, safety, and screening material in this seminar follows recognized Canadian and Ontario sources:
Complete one full session and your volunteer profile is marked Trained by MiVolunteer. You only need to do it once.
Register for a Training Seminar