As a Friend of Crime Prevention, I believe that the heart of crime prevention is through social and community development…..
As an educator, I was used to being at the front of a group of students or a group of fellow educators. Now being retired, my role as changed, I am continuing on my learning journey, but now as a student or fellow participant in the learning. My learning now is focused on developing a new understanding of community and what needs to be done to build a community of belonging for all residents of the Region of Waterloo.
As a Friend of Crime Prevention, I attended on the morning of February 8th, “What Community Means, a Waterloo Region Community Gathering” at K-W YWCA Mary’s Place Community Room, in downtown Kitchener. This event was led by the New Story Group, the Kitchener-Waterloo Social Planning Council, the Festival of Neighbourhood’s, the Multicultural Cinema Club and the Abrahamic Peace Builders.
The keynote speaker was Derek Alton, of the 1000 Conversations project. 1000 Conversations is a project of Tamarack, a charity that develops and supports learning communities that help people to collaborate, co-generate knowledge and achieve collective impact on complex community issues. The deep hope of Tamarack is to end poverty in Canada.
The pilot phase of the 1000 Conversation campaign started in Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Halton and Hamilton, and the second phase Tamarack is looking to partner with 10 new local hosts across Canada who are interested in bringing this campaign to their communities.
Some of my key learnings from this Community Gathering dealt with:
How technology is changing how we approach community
The shifting expectations of Community – how the experience of seniors and youth compare
The Dark Sides of Community
The discussion on “The Dark Sides of Community” for me was especially enlightening, as I have been focusing much of my efforts with the inclusion work of the City of Kitchener Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee on building bridges to inclusion in our community. The “Dark Sides of Community” refers to the feeling of individuals being left out of their community because “they did not fit the mold” or that they could not be their “true selves”, so because of this, community can be experienced as a very judgemental and exclusive place for some. But, clear boundaries can preserve the integrity of a group, so no community can be all things for all people. The key learning here is that community is complicated and messy, and that it is important to not ignore this but rather to seek to understand it.
My view of community is evolving, in my previous blog post, I talked about the New Story Group and their efforts to write a new story about belonging and community. Community for me is many things. For thirty years as an educator my community was very focused on my work and family. Now that I am retired I have been expanding my horizons. My work community is still part of my world, but not the main part. Community is many things, my family, my poker group, my circle of friends, the people at the various places and organizations that I am now volunteering at. Community can be anywhere, and can involve anyone, the only thing is some connection. Connections, the web that builds is what links community together for me. I am amazed at the connections that I see when I do something in my community. It is by leveraging these connections that we can work together to improve our community and make it a place where everyone feels that they belong.
I do believe that many small actions will add up to a large action on the road to building a community of belonging. It can be as simple as acknowledging the presence of a homeless person in downtown Kitchener, they are part of our community, a friendly smile goes a long way in making a person feel like they belong. In less than two months since my last blog post, I have become a member at large on the Forest Heights Community Association Board of Directors, with the desire to continue writing a new story of belonging in my community.
I challenge you to do something to make our community a community of belonging, smile at a stranger, volunteer somewhere in your community, it will make a difference, it will connect you!
Author: Doug McKlusky was born in Ottawa but is a long time resident of Waterloo Region including his university days. Doug recently retired from 30 years with the Waterloo Region District School Board. Doug was co-chair of the inREACH Street Gang Prevention Project until it closed in December 2013. But in his newly retired days, time has very quickly filled with important work such as Out of the Cold, Nutrition for Learning, Forest Heights Community Association and the Safe & Healthy Community Advisory Committee for the City of Kitchener. And, wisely, Doug connects all his work to being an all-around ambassador for Friends of Crime Prevention – it really is about connection.
Doug McKlusky‘s writing reflects his own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views or official positions of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.
The Friends of Crime Prevention network is a space for active members of the community to come together and discuss their ideas of crime prevention. The network aims to bridge individuals and organizations in the common goal of increasing social justice and action for a safe community in which we all live.
This may look great on paper but we really have to ask ourselves: Do these network meetings actually make a difference? Do people really contact one-to-one outside of the meeting rooms? Can talking actually make a difference? Is it more than just the free food, drinks, and give-aways!?
I have personally had the pleasure of becoming part of this network of proactive individuals and it has opened up a new world of action and community engagement! These meetings helped my career, allowed me to form a stronger professional network, and brought a number of important issues to my attention. Here is how I became involved as a Friend of Crime Prevention:
Student attends the Wilfrid Laurier Masters of Social Work program
Student meets professor
Professor recommends Friends of Crime Prevention meeting
Student attends meeting and mentions interest in preventing sexual violence
Student and facilitator host MAASV seminar at Laurier Faculty of Social Work
Student begins to attend MAASV meetings
Student receives placement with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Student writes quiz for intimate partner violence (IPV), among many other worthwhile projects
Student invited to IPV meeting at Conestoga College
Student forms network with college and MAASV
Student’s resume is very happy
Student writes about his path to becoming a Friend.
Reader reads in astonishment and attends next Friends of Crime Prevention meeting!
Are you a Friend of Crime Prevention? Do you have a story to tell about how you got involved in crime prevention through social development? Add your story in the comments below.
Author: Ryan Maharaj, MSW Student with WRCPC. Ryan recently moved to Waterloo in pursuit of his Masters in Social Work at Laurier University. Placed at the Crime Prevention Council, he has been given the opportunity to explore the role of male allies in the movement against sexual and intimate partner violence. He firmly believes that with respect, support, compassion, and education we can prevent the occurrences of sexual violence in the next generation.
As a Friend of Crime Prevention, I believe that that the heart of crime prevention is through social and community development…..
Imagine neighbourhoods where everyone feels a sense of belonging, where inclusion trumps fear.
Imagine workplaces where people belong, and where respect and collaboration trump power and politics.
Imagine schools where belonging trumps bullying and streaming.
Discover, what it means to belong in a diverse community,
Imagine an ideal future where all citizens experience a sense of belonging,
Create momentum that moves us toward this ideal future
Sustain communities of belonging through leadership and innovation
John Lord, the founder of the grass-roots organization, The New Story Group of Waterloo Region, was the keynote speaker on October 15th. The New Story Group is dedicated to building inclusive communities where every community member has an opportunity to experience belonging. Our current story has:
Seniors living alone and very isolated
People with mental health issues being lonely and having few friends
New Canadians needing support to enhance their sense of belonging
In his keynote address John Lord outlined some of the fundamentals that must exist before people can experience a sense of community belonging:
Presence –this is a simple as showing up, but we have to make it easy for people to show up!
Participation – if we make it easy to be present participation becomes easier
Relationships – as humans we have a strong need for affiliation and relatedness
Building a Community of Belonging is strength-based work. We need to build on the assets of individuals, neighbourhoods, and the wider community. There are four key elements of Leadership and Belonging:
Intentionality – communities and individuals must be intentional about belonging.
Belonging Lens – use a belonging lens to guide policy
Connections – identify bridges to enhance belonging
Judgement Free Places – people need to be able to enter community spaces and not feel that they are being judged.
The passion and commitment to write a new story was evident amongst the participants. Inspiring speakers, such as Brandon Spunar, of the Connection Project, and founder of Our Common Ground, spoke of his efforts to connect people in our community, to build bridges to inclusion by connecting people with common interests with each other.
The challenge was given to participants to do something, a small thing that would contribute to making their neighbourhood a more welcoming place, something that would contribute to belonging, to do something to help write the new story. Participants committed to doing this and sharing by March with their groups what they have done. Individually they committed to start writing the new story.
Personally I have committed to three actions that will foster community belonging;
one within my own Forest Heights community,
one within the City of Kitchener, and,
the last one that has an impact across the Region of Waterloo.
As a Friend of Crime Prevention, I believe that the heart of crime prevention is social and community development, so I challenge you to become involved, do something to make our region one of belonging, be part of the writing of the New Story of Belonging.
Author: Doug McKlusky was born in Ottawa but is a long time resident of Waterloo Region including his university days. Doug recently retired from 30 years with the Waterloo Region District School Board. Doug was co-chair of the inREACH Street Gang Prevention Project until it closed in December 2013. But his newly retired days, time has very quickly filled with important work such as Out of the Cold, Nutrition for Learning and the Safe & Healthy Community Advisory Committee for the City of Kitchener. And, wisely, Doug connects all his work to being an all-around ambassador for Friends of Crime Prevention – it really is about connection.
Doug McKlusky‘s writing reflects his own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views or official positions of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.
Posted on: January 21st, 2014 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Public opinion polls have been asking Canadians questions about crime policy, perceptions of crime, and attitudes towards the criminal justice system for over forty years. During this time over 700 questions about crime have been asked by Gallup, Pollara, Ipsos Reid, Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey, the Canadian Election Study and Environics Institute. LISPOP associate Dr. Steve Brown and I have assembled these questions in an archive and are using them to track changes in the public’s views about criminal justice matters over the past few decades.
For more on how public opinion towards crime in Canada has changed over time, please visit lispop.ca. Here, I will focus on how shifts in public opinion towards crime can influence policy.
The relationship between public opinion and policy is complex. In 2000, Barbara Norrander published a study examining capital punishment practices in the United States. Her research shows current death penalty policy in a state is shaped by past policy, political culture and current public opinion. Current opinion is also influenced by past policy and socio economic background. But since past policy is shaped by past opinion there is an indirect effect, where past opinion helps to shape current opinion by changing past policy. Confused yet? Despite the complicated explanation and diagram, below, it’s actually fairly straightforward; past opinion and past policy are constantly influencing one another shaping both current policy and current opinion. Okay, maybe it’s not simple, but it certainly is elegant.
Norrander, 2000 The Multi-Layered Impact of Public Opinion on Capital Punishment Implementation in the United States
This model provides a useful explanation for attitudes towards capital punishment in Canada. Support for capital punishment has been steadily falling since the 1980s. Over 80% of respondents supported capital punishment in the early 1980s, since this time support has fallen significantly. Today when respondents are asked if they support capital punishment for certain crimes support is below 55%.
Support for Capital Punishment
This drop in support can be explained, at least partially, by the abolishment of the death penalty in Canada on July 14th, 1976 (the last execution in Canada took place on December 11th, 1962). Any Canadian, who grew up after this time, grew up in a Canada without the death penalty. So a policy decision, which at the time went against public opinion, helped to shape future public opinion by normalizing a Canada without the death penalty.
Public opinion does not always work this way. Often public opinion will react in the opposite direction of policy decisions. James Stimson a researcher in the United States wrote two books, Tides of Consent and Public Opinion in America, which examine the public mood and compares it to policy decisions. What he found is that public opinion often runs in the opposite direction of the party in power. So if Democrats are in power the people start to say we need more conservative policies and if a Republicans are in power the people start to say we need more liberal policies. Stimson explains that this occurs because of policy excess. A newly elected government starts to implement policies that the public wants, but over time as they continue to create more policies the public starts to say, you’ve gone too far, we need to scale back.
This effect can be seen in Canada. Environics Institute [http://www.environicsinstitute.org/] regularly asks how Canadians would like to see crime addressed, through an emphasis on law enforcement or a focus on crime prevention. Since 2005 there has been a noticeable increase in the number of respondents saying they prefer crime prevention approaches and a decrease in respondents who prefer law enforcement approaches.
Crime Prevention vs. Law Enforcement
Since 2006 the Canadian government has focused on being tough on crime. The policy approach continues to this day but it seems the Canadian public is starting to see these changes as a policy excess. Instead of focusing on punishment, public opinion polls suggest the government focus should be on prevention through education and social development programs.
What do you think? How would you like to see crime addressed in Canada? Do you think we need changes to crime legislation? Would you like to see additional investments in social development programs?
Norrander, B. (2000). The multi-layered impact of public opinion on capital punishment implementation in the United States. Political Research Quarterly, 53(4).
This new publication from Community Development Halton is a comprehensive read for any community development animator who works directly in neighbourhoods. Recognizing that the landscape of community work has changed dramatically in the past two decades, Orr and her associates urge us to adapt our approaches with the changing needs of our communities. And in case you’ve missed it, communities have changed!
This 70 page publication makes the case for ‘place-based neighbourhood work’ and details an engagement framework (pictured below) – An Approach to Building Neighbourhoods. Community work never follows a linear process and “Where We Live Matters” recognizes that neighbourhoods operate in a cyclical, repeated fashion between all stages of the engagement process depending on the issue or situation and the people involved in the work. It’s messy, chaotic and creative work and it’s hard to capture it accurately on paper!
What I like about the model (pictured above) is that they break down the engagement process into more manageable building blocks. I can’t recall ever seeing ‘readiness’ so prominently placed in an engagement process – we all know it’s necessary – so glad to see it named in plain language. I think the distinction between social capital and social capacity is important. Too often, they are used interchangeably, but they truly are distinct concepts in community building.
The remainder of the article outlines:
the key characteristics of communities in which effective community building processes have been carried out,
the personal and professional qualities and skills of the people involved in effective neighbourhood work
best and promising practices in neighbourhood work, focusing on place-based activity
a brief history of place-based neighbourhood work
When you read the brief history of place-based work (Appendix 1), it’s easy to see how far community work has strayed from the direct neighbourhood level. “Where We Live Matters” urges a shift from the universal, service delivery approaches of the past decades, revisiting the classic community development approach of place-based work. There’s no denying it; there are unique and pressing needs in specific geographic areas of every city, town and municipality. Try as we might, universal approaches will never reach the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in our communities. The work needs to be done where it matters most – in neighbourhoods where people live, and with people who live there.
There’s a subtext to this article that is hard to ignore. It speaks to the role of traditional service delivery institutions, large systems and government social policy. Essentially… these entities are too slow and inflexible enough to respond to the needs of neighbourhoods. Often, these systems and institutions are so policy bound that they actually become an obstacle for the communities they are designed to be helping. Which reminds me of so many stories from the very wise Jim Diers who claims that government and large agencies are often the greatest stumbling block for neighbourhoods and communities.
Isn’t that upside down?
As a community practitioner and animator myself, it’s always refreshing to come across good applied research and this one is solidly rooted in practice and the experience of people working effectively with neighourhoods. The authors draw on the work of pioneers of community work such as:
Joh McKnight
John Kretzman
Bill Lee
Margaret Wheatley
Paul Mattessich, Barbara Monsey & Corinna Roy
“Where we live matters” is not new earth-shaking work, but resonates with my own community work as an animator and echoes the growing plethora of place-based initiatives such as:
To better understand the document, check out this Tamarack podcast with Joey Edwardh, Jody Orr and Rishia Burke of Community Development Halton. They lead you through this resource document including an exploration of what inspired the investigation, the important role of an “animator” who enlivens and encourages development in community, funding for work that is hard to measure, and more!
After reading “Where we live matters” I wanted to go pull the McKnight, Kretzman, Lee and Wheatley books from the bookshelf and get reacquainted with the foundations of place-based work. There’s inspiration to be found for our daily work.
But most importantly, “Where we live matters” reminds us that what goes on in our neighbourhoods and the quality of life there has the greatest impact on our quality of daily living. We absolutely should be investing in neighbourhoods.
Posted on: December 31st, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
I just love this time of January when you get to take a look back at what’s been accomplished over the past year, ponder what worked well and scratch your head about what emerged that you never expected.
As we turn the page into 2014, I also love the tradition of digging into our blog to find what you, the readers, found most interesting over the last year. With over 45 blog posts in 2013, there was certainly something for everyone. We had 23 different guest bloggers contribute community responses on the root causes of crime as part of the Snapshot in Time: Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region. You can find all the posts and community responses in one tidy corner of the blog.
But, our readers are diverse which indicates why our most popular blogs on Smart on Crime ranged from book reviews to casinos and from guest commentary to provincial budget analysis. Here’s the round up of our top 13 posts from 2013.
“If youth in the labour market cannot find employment, they find it increasingly difficult to become established in the “adult” world. They have done nothing wrong. They have done what they were told to do and were supposed to do yet cannot find that suitable connection to the workforce. This impacts their confidence and their ability to “fit in”. Many have chosen to give up and have simply walked away from the labour market making it even harder to find their “place” in the world. This results in frustration and anger and they feel neglected.”
“Children living in the care of the child welfare system have a higher likelihood of justice system involvement in comparison to children living with their biological parents”.
“I feel part of a sector where I join in solidarity with people experiencing homelessness and many community members who together stand up to say – people who are homeless matter. We collectively are committed to ending homelessness in Waterloo Region. This is a lofty goal, which will take much persistence and hard work, but with the determination and skills of this community, I believe it is possible.”
“Five minutes later I stood at the front of a classroom with 25 women waiting for me to start talking. “Good morning” I said. “Good morning.” came the reply from the women of Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI).”
“It goes almost without saying that the overarching cause of homelessness is poverty, but not all people who are poor become homeless. Not all people who become homeless stay that way for long.”
“It is no surprise that the length of involvement in schooling significantly impacts participation in criminal activity and the probability of incarceration, as found in Snapshot in Time: Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region. In fact, this has been well-known in the education sector for many years – which explains the great lengths to which school boards go in mitigating against this problem.”
“Creating change that lasts happens in relationships, from one person to another, and these days, often facilitated with the power of social media. Here are Alan’s 7 best thoughts on the principles for engaging people in change.”
“The Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council believes monitoring the root causes of crime can aid the community in addressing crime, victimization and fear of crime through awareness, discussion, leadership and action. Once the root causes are understood more clearly, resources can be applied to areas where the community is doing poorly. A Snapshot in Time: The Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region identifies the root causes of crime right here in Waterloo Region and provides a tool to aid local policy makers in targeting interventions to where they are most needed and where they can have the greatest impact.”
“The data in the section of Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region titled Income of Low Income Families is no surprise to those of us who are familiar with poverty-related issues in our regional community. In fact, in Waterloo Region, 36 earners make more than $2.57M; 360 make more than $685K; 3,610 (the top 1%) make more than $396K. Individuals who make more than $81,200 are in the top 10%. On the other hand, the median income of the bottom 50% is $14,100!* In 2007, one third of employed individuals were earning $14.00/hour or less. This is poor – it may not be deep (or absolute) poverty, but it is precariously close to it. “
“The official position statement of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council given at a public consultation on the question of a casino in the City of Kitchener. The remarks were given by WRCPC Executive Director, Christiane Sadeler on behalf of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.”
So many great reads from 2013. But if you’re in the mood for something to watch, rather than read, might I suggest our personal favourite, “Won’t you be my neighbour?” Who can resist Anthony Piscitelli’s homage to Mr. Rogers!
We look forward to bringing more great smart on crime blogs for you to ponder. Better yet, we love hearing your comments, reactions and responses to the posts and guest commentaries. We look forward to hearing more from you in 2014!
Posted on: December 4th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Communities with a higher proportion of lone-parent headed households are associated with higher crime rates. Children from lone parent headed households face low incomes and other significant risk factors for becoming a victim or perpetrator of crime. The chart below tracks percentage of lone parent families in Waterloo Region and Ontario. The second chart tracks two parent family median incomes and single family median incomes. The gap between the two assesses whether single-parent headed households are falling behind when compared to two parent households.
The Statistics
Data Sources: Statistics Canada, Census (Released Every Five Years); Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 111-0015 (Released Annually)
The Story Behind the Numbers
Waterloo Region has less single parent headed households than Ontario. However, single parent families have increased in Ontario and Waterloo Region over the past ten years. Interestingly in Waterloo Region the income of single parent headed households is growing slightly faster than two parent families in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo CMA. So while single parent headed households are growing in the region their income is keeping pace with average incomes, unfortunately they are not making any significant gains to close the gap.
To take a deeper look at the Single Parent Headed Households indicator in Snapshot in Time: Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region, we talked to Julie Philips, Chief Operating Officer for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Waterloo Region.
1. What is your response to the data presented on this indicator/variable? How does it make you feel when you reflect on this indicator?
People often assume that children raised in a lone-parent family are more likely to live in poverty and are also more likely to commit crime. I would venture to say that children and youth from fragmented households are perhaps just as likely to commit crime as lone-parent offspring. What do I mean by fragmented? A two parent family, where the parents are too busy to invest time in their children. Parents who at the end of the day are too tired, burned out and stressed, leaving little time or energy to actively engage their children. Parents who create an unstable home life thus leaving their children to find their own sense of belonging, their network of support.
2. Who is involved in addressing this issue in your sector? What are you already doing about it?
Many organizations, both formal and informal are working to address this issue. Schools, teachers, faith communities, neighbourhood associations to social service agencies are working individually and as a collective to provide healthy networks of support for children and youth in our region regardless of family structure.
We believe in working with others to promote healthy and safe environments for children. Our programs are not “cookie-cutter or clinical” but are based on the power of friendship – having someone special to spend time with and count on. We have passion for excellence and our programs evolve with the emerging needs of our community through collaborative efforts and leveraging collective resources. Our programs are child-centered and therefore allow each child to be supported in a way that helps them reach their individual goals.
Children in our community based programs are primarily from lone-parent families or extended families.
One-to-One matches children and youth with the support of a caring adult mentor. The goal is that children and youth become empowered to reach their potential as engaged, confident and well-rounded individuals who are able to develop and maintain positive relationships.
Big Bunch provides children and youth with mentoring support through group programming. By participating in recreational opportunities, children and youth develop and maintain positive relationships, and become confident, engaged members of their community.
Children in our school based and summer programs are from a variety of family structures.
In-School Mentoring provides elementary students who could benefit from extra emotional, social or academic support, with a caring adult mentor. The goal is for students to become engaged, connected, contributing, skilled, and confident members of their school and community, empowering them to reach their potential.
Go Girls! Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds is designed for girls aged 12-14 and provides them with information to help make informed choices about healthy, active living and supports them in dealing with the emotional, social and cultural issues they may face. The goal of the program is that participants have a positive body image, high self-esteem, healthy eating habits, be physically active, and able to create and maintain healthy relationships.
Game On! uses a mentor approach to provide boys and young men with information and support to make informed choices about a range of healthy lifestyle practices. Through non-traditional physical activities, complemented with healthy eating support, participants are engaged in life skills, communication, and emotional health discussions designed to engage participants in the pursuit of life-long healthy lifestyles.
Summer Discovery supports children during the summer months. They enjoy all that summer has to offer games, crafts, activities and snacks! This day program is about having fun and building friendships, while learning and participating in physical activity together.
3. What else should be done and/or needs to be done about it?
There also needs to be greater engagement of children and youth in the process. Access to services and supports need to be simplified – it is currently too easy to get frustrated or lost in the system when trying to access support. A greater focus should be given to providing proactive rather than reactive strategies. We need to work towards removing the stigma sometimes felt by parents/families access services. The community as a whole needs to work collaborate to holistically address the needs of children and youth in the Region. This means valuing the working of the services providers and committing to sustainable revenue sources for service providers.
Thank you Julie! Thanks for your insights & responses.
Author: Julie Phillips, a native of Cambridge, has an interest for world missions as well as local outreach. As the former Executive Director with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cambridge she played a key role in the successful merger of the Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo chapters. With 12 years of experience in the non-profit sector and as Chief Operating Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Waterloo Region she works towards providing youth in her community with the same opportunities she had when she was growing up. Julie is an active volunteer in her community and is passionate about the social issues affecting the well-being of our region’s residents.
Data Source: Statistics Canada, Census (Released every five years)
Story Behind the Numbers
In 2006, 23.8% of residents in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo CMA did not have a high school diploma. This is the exact same as the Ontario provincial average and slightly above the Canada average of 23.4%. However, when the results are examined for individuals under the age of 35, the Waterloo Region has more residents without a high school diploma than the Provincial average. This is significant because individuals under the age of 35 are at the highest risk of participating in criminal activity.
It is no surprise that the length of involvement in schooling significantly impacts participation in criminal activity and the probability of incarceration, as found in Snapshot in Time: Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region. In fact, this has been well-known in the education sector for many years – which explains the great lengths to which school boards go in mitigating against this problem.
As part of the Student Success Learning to 18 Strategy — through the Re-engagement (12 & 12+) Initiative – school boards contact students who have either left school or have not been attending to re-engage them in their studies to complete their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Funding is provided to the boards to support programs for these students once they return and in Waterloo Region’s Catholic Schools we dedicate a significant amount of staff time to, first, actually locating the whereabouts of these students and then helping them complete their required volunteer hours and/or registered them at our St. Louis Adult Learning & Continuing Education Centres or their home secondary school to accumulate credits toward the OSSD.
The tracking of all of our in-risk students (Grade 9 to those that have left our system without an OSSD) is reported to the Ministry of Education along with other student success tracking data through “Taking Stock” reports. These reports outline the following:
how many students our schools are tracking that are in-risk;
are these students attached to a caring adult;
was their timetable individualized;
are they getting advice on pathways planning;
has a strengths profile been created for the student.
Our own internal tracking for students who have left our system without an OSSD looks at:
number of students contacted;
did they register for courses, how many;
how many credits did they accumulate.
In addition to the above some key initiatives are in place to meet the needs of all of our students on their way to successful completion of the OSSD.
Specialist High Skills Majors allow students to focus on a future career through a bundle of classroom courses, workplace experiences and sector certifications
Expansion of Cooperative Education allows students to count this hands-on learning towards two compulsory high school credits
E-Learning provides students with online courses and allows teachers to share resources across the province
Dual Credits count toward a student’s high school diploma as well as a college certificate, diploma or apprenticeship certification
Credit rescue programs intervene prior to a student experiencing failure in a course
Credit recovery programs allow students who have failed a course to only repeat expectations where they have been unsuccessful rather than redoing the whole course
Supervised Alternative Learning programs allow students to work full-time, get mental health supports, volunteer hours and accumulate credits
So…when it comes to playing our role in reducing the number of local residents without a high school diploma you can rest assured Waterloo Region’s Catholic Schools are front and centre in closing the gap.
Author: David DeSantis is the Superintendent of Learning for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and responsible for Student Success, Secondary Schools, St. Mary’s FOS, Leadership Development and Succession and 21st Century Teaching and Learning.
Author: Doug McKlusky was born in Ottawa but is a long time resident of Waterloo Region including his university days. Doug recently retired from 30 years with the Waterloo Region District School Board. Doug was co-chair of the inREACH Street Gang Prevention Project until it closed in December 2013. But in his newly retired days, time has very quickly filled with important work such as Out of the Cold, Nutrition for Learning, Forest Heights Community Association and the Safe & Healthy Community Advisory Committee for the City of Kitchener. And, wisely, Doug connects all his work to being an all-around ambassador for Friends of Crime Prevention – it really is about connection.
Title: 
Data Sources: Statistics Canada, Census (Released Every Five Years); Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 111-0015 (Released Annually)
Author: Julie Phillips, a native of Cambridge, has an interest for world missions as well as local outreach. As the former Executive Director with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cambridge she played a key role in the successful merger of the Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo chapters. With 12 years of experience in the non-profit sector and as Chief Operating Officer of