Hour Republic FAQs

Forms FAQ Guide

Need some help navigating our Form software? You’ve come to the right place.

General
• How do I access the Forms (document generation) software?

Form FAQs
•    Teachers: How do Teachers create forms in Hour Republic?
•    Exporting and printing forms
•    How do I create multiple forms for multiple students?
•    How do I copy or re-use an existing form or learning plan?
•   How do I locate a missing student?
•   How do I re-order form icons?
•   How do I bulk update the semester and teacher on a form?
•   What are student tags used for?
•   How do teachers update their phone number?
•   Form Options
•   Locking Forms
•    How do I add expectations to learning plans?

E-signatures
•    Summary of E-Signature Features
•    How do teachers add and send email signature requests?
•   How do teachers send mass e-signature requests?
• How do employers and parents/guardians provide e-signatures?

Students
• How do students create forms in Hour Republic?
• How do students add and save e-signatures?

Employer/Organization
• How do Employers and Parents/Guardians provide e-signatures?
• How do I create employer specific expectations for the SCELP form?
• Tips for Searching Employers
•   How do I add contacts to an employer profile?
•   How do I add an employer or edit an existing employer?
•   How do I add employer expectations?

Webinar Schedule

We host live weekly webinars where we walk you through our software (from start to finish), and answer any questions that you may have.

Hour Tracking + Document Autofill & E-signatures
Mondays @ 10:00am
Mondays @ 12:15pm
Tuesdays @ 1:30pm
Fridays @ 10:00am

*All times are in Eastern Time (ET) [daylight saving time]

If you’re interested in attending, please provide 24 hours notice (day before) and email us at info[at]charityrepublic.com with the time slot(s) you are available. We will be happy to share the webinar details with you!

Hour Republic FAQs Guide

Look no further than this guide to direct you to the FAQ you need

General
•    Getting Started Guide
•    How do Teachers/Coordinators sign-up via hourrepublic.com? (or, Google sign up)
•    How do I reset my password and find my username?
•   General Questions
•   How do I send a message to an individual, group, or a class?
•   Pre-placement Activities
• How do I Locate Unapproved Hours?

Main Administrator Section
•    How do I create a new class and signup code?
•    How do I add a new resource?
•    How do I add Bulk Achievements?
•    Adjusting the progress bar
•    Disable/hide certain sections and fields
• How do I add or change my school’s logo?
•    Student Types
•   How do teachers/coordinators customize the Achievements drop-down?
•   A Student is Missing from my Class (Hour Tracking)
•   Why can’t I see students on my Students section?

Employer/Organization
•    How do I add new Organizations/Employers?
•    How do I add contacts to an Organization/Employer?
•    How do I add a Volunteer or Placement opportunity?
•    How do Organizations Approve Hours?
•    Published and Public Positions/Opportunities
•    Active vs Pending Organizations/Employers
•    Why isn’t an organization receiving my email to verify hours?
•    How do I add employer expectations?

Students
• How do students sign-up via hourrepublic.com? (or, Google sign up)
•    How do I add Volunteer and Other Hours?
•    How do I add Placement/Co-op Hours?
•    How do I print a report of my hours?
•    How do I manage my Student Dashboard?
•    Icon Guide
• How do I Assign an Organization to a Student?
•    How do I see when students registered or logged in last?
•   How does a Student Add More than One Shift?
•   What if a Student has Two Employers/Supervisors?
•   How do Students and Teachers/Coordinators Create an Achievement?
•   How do I Track Overnight Shifts?

Reflections/Journals
•    How do teachers add new Reflection/Journal topics?
•    How do students submit a Reflection/Journal?
•    How do teachers mark Reflections/Journal topics?
•    How do students delete a Reflection/Journal?

Reports
• How do I generate a report?
• How do I generate a PDF version of reports?
• How do I print a report of my hours?

Calendar
•    Colour Coding in the Schedule
•    Navigating the Calendar
•    How do I create a PDF Version of the Calendar?

Updating an Organization/Employer in a Weekly Log

A student’s employer is automatically carried over to their next weekly log, making future logs easier to complete. If a student changes employers or works with multiple employers, they can edit or remove the previously saved employer and replace it with a new one.

Organization field

Clear the existing text in the Organization field (i.e. remove the employer’s name from the Organization field). Once removed, the background text in the field will read as follows: Search for organization

SEARCH & SELECT

Then, search for and select an employer from your database, or click + New Employer to add a new employer.

Tip: Use broader search terms when possible. For example, search for "star" instead of "Starbucks" to account for variations or spelling differences, such as "Starbuck’s" instead of "Starbucks".

Once the employer is selected from the drop-down, select the related Contact (your supervisor) and Student Position (your placement job title).

Once your hour log has been saved and/or submitted, the Organization’s details will be saved and automatically populated for future hour log entries.

Important Reminder: If a student works for more than one employer during the semester, they must update the Organization field for each weekly log to reflect the employer or supervisor receiving the hour submission(s).

How do Teachers/Coordinators Create a Monitoring Visit?

Monitoring Visits allow you to track visits, notes, observations, and communication with a student’s placement employer. Record visit details, feedback, goals, follow-up items, and attach supporting files such as photos, PDFs, or Word documents.

FAQ: How do I create a new Monitoring Visit (Site Visit)?

Teachers/Coordinators can create a Monitoring Visit by following these steps:

1. Locate the sidebar on the left panel, then click on the Students tab.

2. Click on any student.

3. Next, select the icon located under the student.

4. Click on the icon at the top right of the screen to Create a Visit.

5. Enter the relevant data for the following fields:

Visit Type: In-Person, Phone Call, E-mail, or Virtual Visit
Visit Number
Date/Time
Placement/Employer

Placement Discussion Checklist
Activities Observed
Teacher/Supervisor Comments & Assessment
Student Comments/Goals
Follow-Up/Next Steps
Add any relevant attachments.
Save the visit.

TIPS

Use the Monitoring Visits Report to extract and review recorded visit information for individual students or your entire class.

How to Replace or Add a New Employer to a Form

A student’s employer is remembered from one form to the next, making it easier to complete future forms. Since students may change employers, you can remove a previously remembered employer and add a new one as needed.

Click X to remove the previous employer. Then, search for and select an employer from your database, or add a new employer (+ New Employer).

Note: If you click to expand Employer Details, you will see the information that automatically populates your documents. This is the data you will see in the document when you click Export to PDF.

Important Reminder: In some cases, you may need to create a completely new form rather than overwrite a previously created form. This will depend on the circumstances. When deciding whether to update an existing form or create a new one, consider the importance of maintaining an accurate historical record. Keeping previous forms intact can help ensure that past information, changes, and approvals remain properly documented.

For instance, if a student has more than one employer during a semester, then 2 separate forms will likely be required since one employer cannot sign on behalf of another employer.

Creating multiple forms for multiple students

You can create more than one form for more than one student. These steps apply to all forms!

#1: Click on the Forms tab in Hour Republic to create a new form

#2: Click the Create Forms button (top-right)
[this is an option if you prefer to select your students first]

Select one or more form(s) that you wish to create [this is an option if you prefer to select your forms first]

#3: Click Create Forms (if you haven’t already)

#4: Select multiple students that you wish to create form(s) for:

#5: Click the Save and Export PDF button (instead of clicking Next)

This accomplishes 2 objectives:

All documents are automatically created, and once loaded, appear in the main Forms section

All documents are exported and collated into one PDF (this PDF opens up into a new browser tab)

🔒Locking Forms to Prevent Editing

Teachers can lock and unlock forms to control editing access. When a form is locked, no further changes can be made to the form fields, with the exception of signatures. Signatures can still be added or requested when a form is locked.

Students can view the contents of a locked form but they can’t edit any fields.

🔒Forms can be locked individually or in bulk.

Locking Multiple Forms

#1: Click the Forms tab in Hour Republic

#2: Select one or more previously created forms

#3: Click the lock icon at the top of the screen (). Once clicked, form(s) will automatically be locked and a lock icon will appear beside the selected form(s).

In order to unlock form(s), follow the same process by simply selecting a locked form and clicking the Unlock icon ().

Locking an Individual Form

Individual forms can be locked in the main Forms section as well as when the form is open for editing.

#1: Click to open a previously created form

#2: Click the 3-dot menu (top-right), and select Lock from the drop-down menu

#3: The following text box will appear at the top of a locked form:

Click the Unlock button in order to unlock a form.

How do students add and save e-signatures?

Once a form has been created, you will notice signature fields at the bottom of the form, as follows:

1. Student Signature: Click on the ‘Tap or click to sign” line

2. A pop-up window will appear where a signature can be added. Add your signature and enter or revise First Name, Last Name and Email address (these fields will typically autofill for you).

NOTE: A signature can be added to any touch screen with a finger or stylus. A signature can also be added via any computer with a computer mouse.

3. Click Sign

Once a signature is added, the signature will appear as follows:

4. Click Save in order to save the signature, or Save and Export the form in order to export the signature to a PDF form. Print the PDF form or save the form electronically when you are ready.

My Signature

Students can save their signatures to quickly and easily sign forms. You will notice an Insert My Signature checkbox.

1. Click Tap or click to sign

2. Add signature and select the Save as my signature checkbox to save the signature for future forms, followed by clicking Sign.

3. Now, when you sign a form, you can either select the 3-dot menu and click Sign with saved signature or the button above the signature box, to instantly sign a form.

Form Options

Teachers can set up Form Options – default values that are personalized and autopopulate their forms.

#1. In the left panel, click on your name:

#2. Next, click on the Form Options tab:

#3. Teachers can set Form-specific Options, or Global Options.

Using Start Date and End Date as an example, a teacher can set these dates in the Form Options section and these dates will subsequently be set and apply to newly created forms.

Global Options can be linked to multiple forms, ensuring that the data is consistently applied and auto-populated across all forms containing those fields.

Form-specific options apply to a specific form. Using the Work Education Agreement as an example, the Placement Start Time, End Time and Schedule can be set by a teacher. Once set, newly created forms will autofill this data.

NOTE:

 Form Options only apply to newly created forms (set Form Options > create a new form > update applied). Form Options do not override data that was already added to previously created forms.

 Form Options are specific to a teacher. Thus, teachers within the same school can customize their own Form Options.

 Additional Form Option fields can be added upon request.

How to create SHSM Forms

Below are steps for creating an SHSM Form:

#1: Click on the Forms tab in Hour Republic to create a new form

#2: Click the Create Forms button in the top right corner
[this is an option if you prefer to select your students first]

Select one or more form(s) that you wish to create (e.g. check off SHSM Business and/or SHSM Manufacturing)
[this is an option if you prefer to select your forms first]

#3: Click Create Forms (if you haven’t already)

#4: Select one or all of the students that you would like to create a form(s) for, then click Next.

TIP: You can create multiple forms for multiple students at the same time.

#5: Begin filling out or editing the form for your student(s)

We autofill your form with student data that was imported (shared by your school board's IT department) or entered under a student's profile.

– Enter SHSM Start Date
– If applicable, enter Exit/Drop Date
– Select Post-Secondary Destination

Add Required Course Components
No need to fill in course details here unless prompted. This section summarizes what students must complete:

e.g. 4 Manufacturing credits
e.g. 3 other required credits (English, Math, Science or Co-op)
e.g. 2 Co-op credits

Log Sector-Recognized Certification/Training
This is where you log certifications and training as the student completes them.

-Choose Compulsory Courses (from the provided list in Hour Republic).
-Choose Electives (from the provided list in Hour Republic).
-Choose ICE, Math Literacy, and/or Coding

For each, please add:

Course name
Hours
Date Earned
Counsellor/SHSM Initials
Data Initials (who entered it)
Data Entry Date

Example: CPR Level C → 4 hrs → 10/31/2025 → JD → AP → 11/04/2025

Exit/Drop Section (if applicable)
If the student leaves the SHSM program before completion:

Check “Student has decided to exit/drop the SHSM.”
Enter the Reason
Confirm Parent approval (by phone if noted)
Add Counsellor Initials and Date of Approval

Complete Form
Once the form is complete, you can either

Save or Export PDF
Print (one exported)
Sign electronically
Email a request(s) for e-signatures (FAQ here)

Copying Forms

You can copy a form, from one student to another (visit our FAQ to learn more).

How Do Students Add Placement/Co-op Hours?

Students can start to add hours by selecting the icon on the left toolbar
To begin, select the button in the top right corner of the page
Students have the option to Label their hours (e.g. Week 1)
Change the Category to Placement/Co-op under the Category type, then the hours will automatically change the Hour Type to a weekly block
Next, add your Organization/Employer. Click the icon to add your employer’s information.
Please fill out the Organization Name, Supervisor Name, Email, Phone Number, and their Position (e.g. Cashier)
Under Skills Learned, you must add at least one new skill that you learned during your placement each week (e.g. Customer Service, Oral Communication)
Please add a Description of what you did during your work hours (i.e. I learned how to use the cash register, I worked on filing papers)
The week will automatically begin on the Monday of the current week and each day will be listed for you to begin adding shifts
To add a new shift, simply click the + symbol beside the days you worked
The hours will automatically be set to Placement (Unpaid), however, you can also track Placement (Paid), In-School/Integration, Pre-Placement, and Dual Credit hours
– If you take a Lunch/Break this will deduct minutes from the overall hours
-If you were Absent or Late, please select the boxes to mark your attendance

You can also add two shifts for one day by selecting the + symbol twice
Once you have added and reviewed your hours for the week, you can select either button to Save the hours as a draft, or Save and Submit to send to your Employer.

When clicking, the hours are submitted to the placement supervisor and become “Pending” hours

Tips

When students select “Placement” for the first time from the drop-down menu while adding hours, Placement becomes their new default hour type.

How do students copy a log?

Students can create a copy of their hours by clicking at the right side of the desired hours:

This will allow students to select Copy which creates an identical Draft of their hours.

If students have consistent hours each week (e.g. 9:00am to 12:00pm), then they can add hours and save those hours as a template. They can leave the template in Draft status and copy that template each week and even add a personalized Label (e.g. “template”).