Brampton Safe City News Releases

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Media Advisory

For Immediate Release
Thursday October 21, 2004

Youth Education and Safety Team Tackles Teen Safety Through Training and Community Service

Brampton, Ontario - The Youth Education and Safety Team (YES) is a unique community safety initiative aimed at reducing crime and injuries for youth, 14 to 18 years of age. The program recruits 15 teens per session (45 per year over three yearly sessions) who commit to participating in up to 60 hours of volunteer service and safety training.

The program is offered 3 times per year:

Fall - Oct-Jan
Winter - Feb-June
Summer – July and August

Youth Education and Safety Team (YES) Application Form

Each session involves three distinct phases of activity that youth participate in:

Phase One: Safety Training and Leadership Development

During phase one, teens participate in 8 weekly training sessions that focus on topics such as youth related crime prevention, community safety, making healthy and safe lifestyle choices, and the choosing of “smart risks”. A key component of this phase involves a full-day training session at the Jack Smyth Outdoor Education Centre. While there, YES Team participants will take part in a variety of activities that focus on developing the group’s leadership and teamwork skills.

Phase Two: Planning of a Community Safety Event

During this phase of the initiative, YES Team members utilize the skills they’ve learned to plan and coordinate a safety education event or project aimed at their peers and members of the general public in Brampton.

Phase Three: Supporting an Existing Community Safety Initiative

In the final phase of the program, YES Team members assist with the coordination of an existing safety initiative with the Brampton Safe City Association or a member of the Brampton Safe City Partnership (there are currently more than 20 safety related groups and organizations involved with the Safe City Partnership). YES Team members have previously assisted with initiatives such: as the Peel Children’s Safety Village; the Distress Centre of Peel; School Bike Rodeos; Park Clean Ups; and Emergency Preparedness Week events, to name a few.

“Youth involved with this program get a first hand opportunity to learn ways to protect themselves, and their friends, from becoming victims of crime or senseless accidents that can negatively impact the rest of their lives.

At the same time, these young men and women have the opportunity to be part of a team that’s playing an important role in making their community a better place to live.

The program isn’t just about giving teens a great experience to benefit their resumes, it’s about giving them a great experience to benefit their lives.”
– Paul Damaso, Executive Director, Brampton Safe City Association.

There is still time to register for the fall session of the Youth Education and Safety Team, which kick’s off during the last week of October. Teens who miss this week’s fall registration deadline can submit their names for the winter session of YES, which begins early in the new year.

For more information on YES, youth can visit the Brampton Safe City web site at www.bramptonsafecity.ca or they can call the Safe City office at 905-793-5484 or e-mail us at safecity@city.brampton.on.ca.

The Youth Education and Safety program is an initiative of the Brampton Safe City Association, with assistance from Peel Health, Peel Regional Police and financial support from the Region of Peel .

Media Contacts:

For more information, please contact:

Paul Damaso or Sophia Graham
905-793-5484