They are. This is the thing. If you're 12 years old and you're volunteering in the Canada service corps, I will draw that link and make that connection to a post-secondary-school young person who is applying to get into a university, because universities look at whole people and the life journey of a young person.
What did they do? It's not just about marks. Did they help in their community? That person then includes their volunteer years. “I started at 12 and I did it right up to 18, and now I'm applying to you because I am a young person who cares about those around me and not just me.”