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.
Sort results by:
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 […]
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 […]
PLEI for racialized communities is a new, interactive, culturally relevant and responsive program designed for youth who identify as African, Caribbean, Black (ACB), or Indigenous, ages 14–29, living primarily in urban areas across Ontario. Using scenarios, games and experiential activities, these programs use a collaborative, interactive, dialogue-based approach. Over 8-9 workshops, PLEI programs inform racialized […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
The OJEN Youth-Police Dialogue (YPD) program is an interactive justice education series designed to promote positive interactions, build knowledge, challenge perceptions and enhance skills to foster greater relations between youth and police in communities across Ontario. Over the course of this project, youth will meet with Youth Police Dialogue Facilitators, police officers, and lawyers to […]
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 […]
For many young people, a career in law may feel out of their reach. Futures in Justice (previously named Braiding Diversity into Justice) and other OJEN career modelling programs help young people of all backgrounds “see themselves in law” by introducing them to legal professionals with whom they share similar experiences. The goal of these […]
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 […]
