OJEN owes much of its success to an incredibly dedicated and highly skilled volunteer base. During National Volunteer Week, April 18th to 24th, OJEN took to social media to thank all of the judges, lawyers, court staff, police officers, educators, law students and others who give their time and expertise in support of our justice education programs. Coaching mock trials, delivering workshops, developing classroom resources and so much more – they bring the law to life for thousands of youth throughout Ontario every year.
Our volunteers
In case you missed it, here are some of the volunteers we mentioned in our National Volunteer Week social media campaign last week:
We send appreciation to the volunteers on OJEN’s 17 local committees who bring justice education programs specially tailored to their community needs. Thanks to Justice Catrina Braid and all the Waterloo Committee members for organizing the annual Braiding Diversity into Justice program for racialized and marginalized young women interested in pursuing a justice career.
OJEN thanks all the law students who contribute so much to OJEN’s justice education initiatives. Nemee Bedar juggled full-time studies in the University of Ottawa law program with responsibilities as one of our 2021 Justice Education Fellows. She adapted OJEN’s workshop “My Journey to a Career in Law” for online delivery and will have delivered it 3 times before the end of the academic year. Thanks, Nemee and congratulations on your upcoming clerkship at the Superior Court of Justice!
OJEN thanks judges and court staff from all 3 of Ontario’s courts for their strong support of OJEN’s work. In this picture Justice Roberts and clerks from the Court of Appeal listen to legal arguments from OJEN’s Charter Challenge semi-finalists. This appellate level mock hearing program gives high school students all over the province the opportunity to consider complex Charter issues. Many thanks for giving these students an unforgettable experience!
OJEN thanks all the teachers who volunteer with OJEN helping us develop programs and resources that enhance curriculum-based learning. Luis Filipe brings his wealth of classroom experience to our board of directors, where he brings a teacher’s perspective to the governance role – guiding and overseeing organizational activities.
We send appreciation to officers from police services throughout the province. Their participation in programs including Youth Police Dialogues and Navigating Police Encounters foster mutual learning opportunities for both youth and police. Officers, like Cst. Vianney Calixte from the Ottawa Police Service, engage in dialogue, share information and exchange experiences.
To all of our volunteers, thank you so much for all you do promoting justice education for youth throughout Ontario! Truly, we couldn’t do it without you!