Spotlight on OJEN’s strategic plan: PLEI for racialized youth

OJEN’s Public Legal Education programming for racialized justice-involved youth is an example of our strategic commitment to engage directly with youth.  

Over the last year, OJEN delivered 12 PLEI programs throughout Ontario to 100 racialized youth in open and closed custody facilities and in one diversion program. 

The program meets youth where they are and invites them to take an active role in shaping what they learn. Youth participants are not just recipients of information. They are encouraged to share their stories and identify the legal issues most relevant to them – such as housing, employment, and human rights.  They help co-design sessions that are meaningful, respectful, and responsive.   

To ensure the program is both relevant and aligned with the legal needs of our youth audiences, OJEN works closely with our five core youth leadership team members and four local youth project officers in custody.   

Sessions are interactive and dialogue-based.  Youth gain practical legal information and build legal-life skills such as communication, legal issue spotting, and self-advocacy. They also connect directly with community and justice-sector professionals. Through dialogue, they address misconceptions about the justice system, expand their support networks in community, and share insights into how the system and community can better support them.  

OJEN’s PLEI program for racialized justice-involved youth strengthens youth leadership, elevates youth voice, builds meaningful connections, and empowers youth that are often overlooked. It is a powerful expression of one of our core outreach goals – making access to justice real for youth who face significant barriers.