Justice Education Projects
Justice education is based on the idea that law is a part of everyone’s life. Everyone has the right to understand it and to participate in the legal processes that affect them. To do that, they need knowledge about the law, including where to get reliable information and affordable help. But they also need skills – patience, persistence, keeping calm during conflict, and presenting facts or ideas in an orderly way.
The only way to build a skill is to practice!
OJEN’s justice education projects help youth across Ontario learn about the law and develop the skills they need to manage legal issues they will face in life. When a community group or social agency contacts us, we work with them to choose a project that’s a good fit for their youth. We can recruit a facilitator to run the program or a lawyer, judge, or paralegal to come and provide the legal information. Our projects typically run for 3-6 sessions, which gives youth a chance to learn and improve over time. It also means that they get more time and attention from our volunteers.
Check out the justice education project models below to learn more.
Bursaries for Grade 12 Students Pursuing Studies Toward a Career in Law
Bursaries are available to grade 12 students in Ontario, pursuing post-secondary studies related to the many careers in the justice system at an Ontario University or College. These bursaries have been created to assist students who demonstrate academic excellence and commitment to their studies and who are in financial need. Bursaries are offered by the […]
OJEN Charter Challenge
The Charter Challenge is Ontario’s only mock appeal for high school students. Each year, OJEN releases a mock judicial decision in which complex Charter issues are raised on appeal. Students all over Ontario form teams and choose one side of the appeal to ‘represent’. They research and write a factum with legal arguments in favour […]
The Braiding Diversity Founders Scholarship
The Waterloo Committee established the Braiding Diversity Founders Scholarship to support the success of Braiding Diversity into Justice program participants. The scholarship is available to any grade 12 or post-secondary student in Ontario, pursuing post-secondary studies related to the many careers in the justice system at an Ontario university or college. The applicant must be […]
Kingston Youth-Police Dialogue
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 […]
Braiding Diversity into Justice
For many young people, a career in law may feel out of their reach. 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 programs is to show that […]
Legal Leaders Workshops for Newcomer Youth
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 […]
Kitchener-Waterloo Youth-Police Dialogue
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 […]
TwitterX Moot
The OJEN TwitterX Moot is an online debate. Students from across Ontario participate in the discussion by tweeting their opinions either individually or in teams/classes. The OJEN committee in Hamilton came up with this fun and engaging justice education initiative for Hamilton-area schools. In the fall of 2020, for the first time, OJEN ran the […]
Hamilton Twitter Moot
A Twitter Moot is an online debate where students discuss a pressing legal issue. On Thursday, April 16, 2015, the Hamilton committee organized its inaugural Twitter Moot to celebrate Law Day (a national event to commemorate the signing of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms). The committee has been offering this popular initiative […]
Experiential Mock Trials at the John Sopinka Courthouse in Hamilton
Each semester, the Hamilton Committee holds Experiential Mock Trials at the John Sopinka Courthouse. This program invites students from across Hamilton to sign up and participate in an amazing experiential learning opportunity! Using a mock trial case provided by OJEN, students prepare Opening and Closing Statements, along with questions for Direct and Cross examination of […]