OJEN’s community-based public legal education initiatives are designed to address the specific legal needs of youth aged 12 to 29. By partnering with community groups across Ontario, OJEN delivers engaging programs and workshops that build knowledge, develop legal life skills, and empower youth to navigate legal challenges in their own lives and drive positive change in their communities.
Workshops and programs cover various legal topics and focus on four main outcomes:
Most of OJEN’s programs are available in-person, online or in a hybrid format. Check out our Menu of Program Options for Community Organizations to learn more.
If you are interested in delivering a program to a youth group in your community, contact OJEN’s Outreach department at programs@ojen.ca or fill out the program request form.
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Mock hearings use a collaborative, interactive, dialogue-based approach to bring the law to life for youth participants. Youth take on roles of lawyers, witnesses, accused and court staff to enact a simulated legal hearing. Volunteer lawyer and/or law student coaches help prepare them for their roles and share tips on how to build their case. […]
Justice 101 workshops use an interactive collaborative approach to build participants’ legal capability. They use scenarios and role-play to introduce youth (ages 12-29) to criminal law, courtroom procedures, androles in the criminal justice system. They encourage discussion and reflection among participants while giving an overview of the criminal trial process. Workshops are facilitated by justice […]
OJEN’s Youth-Police Dialogue programs offer young people a safe, inclusive space to share their perspectives about their neighbourhood and the issues that cause conflict between youth and police. Over 6-8 weekly sessions, lawyers help youth learn about criminal law, build their legal capability, and develop their advocacy skills. Youth participants practice framing their ideas and […]
Active Citizens is a flexible program that helps youth build the skills they need to effect change in their communities. Active Citizens contains a set of workshops or modules that you can mix and match to create a program that fits a specific youth audience. With modules that focus on advocacy skills, local issues, and […]
OJEN on the Air invites students to research a legal topic, interview an expert, and record a radio segment or podcast about their topic. Sometimes, we partner with a local radio station to get students into a professional studio, where recording experts can coach them on their work. But even if you don’t have a […]
Talking Law is a series of workshops that teach ESL students about the law. It can be adapted for a range of language levels. The Talking Law series helps ESL students build skills for dealing with legal issues at the same time as developing their vocabulary and confidence. In a Talking Law workshop, a lawyer […]
Everyday Law uses simplified classroom activities to introduce legal concepts to young people in an accessible way. Because they were originally developed for Ontario’s Grade 11 Workplace level law course (CLU3E), they are easily adapted for use in community or ESL contexts. When we run Everyday Law workshops, we connect the audience with a legal […]
The Family Law for Young Parents (FLYP) program empowers young parents by equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to handle legal challenges confidently. The workshop series uses experiential learning to address common legal issues they may face. Over the course of 3-5 sessions, lawyers work with young parents to build legal life […]
We work with filmmakers and local theatres to bring your students the opportunity to see new documentaries that take on important legal issues. Often our film screenings are followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, the subject of the film, or other experts. Film screenings are a great way to engage your students in discussions […]
Newcomers often experience unique legal challenges. Faced with unfamiliar laws and legal processes, and potentially unaware of their legal rights or mechanisms for enforcement, many newcomers also experience language barriers when seeking access to legal help. Newcomer youth often have a special and trusted relationship with their parents and other adult family members. They speak […]
