Students in an Active Citizen program present their ideas about law reform to justice sector decision makers.
OJEN turned 15 this year!
Since 2002, our programs and resources have impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people throughout Ontario. And we’re just getting started! Looking ahead to 2018 and beyond we’re excited about opportunities to expand our justice education initiatives to new youth audiences. We know that providing young people with the legal life skills to navigate their world is one important factor contributing to greater access to justice.
Between now and the end of 2017, we’ll be posting 15 of our most significant achievements – reasons we think you’ll want to give us an extra-special year-end present!
Donate $15 or $150 …or more! Read all 15 reasons why your donation to OJEN will make a difference.
Reason #13
OJEN gives youth the skills to manage legal issues.
“Basic legal education is a life skill that many students at my school really need. Legal education is important because it informs students about their rights, and it gives them the knowledge and the confidence to start to see the legal system as a tool that can improve their lives, rather than a system set up to make their lives more difficult.”
Scott Pearce, teacher Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute
OJEN offers justice education initiatives that are accessible and relevant for youth now and as adults. Our programs and classroom resources build legal capability in young people by helping them develop key knowledge and skills that make them more confident and effective when engaging with the justice system.
A Foot in the Door is a teaching resource developed together with Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company (LawPro) that gives students an overview of housing law in Ontario. It expands students’ knowledge of real estate and housing law and to gives them practical tools they will need to make responsible housing decisions. The six module resource contains both practical information and interactive, skill-building activities such as budgeting, and mock negotiation exercises.
OJEN’s Active Citizens program prepares youth to become agents of change in their communities. With a focus on advocacy skills, exploring local issues, and using law as a tool for social change, this program helps empower young people to become leaders in their communities. Working with OJEN staff or volunteers, youth identify issues in their own schools or neighbourhoods and work with legal experts to brainstorm solutions.
OJEN’s programs build legal life-skills that youth will use to interact effectively with the justice system throughout their lives – another reason to Give to OJEN’s 15th Birthday Campaign.