It will highlight career paths in the justice sector for those from Black or racialized backgrounds
The Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) has launched a program highlighting career paths in the justice sector to middle school students from Black or racialized backgrounds.
The Ontario Bar Association and the Law Foundation of Ontario funded the “Yes We Can” program along with the French-language version “Tout droit vers le droit.” The program’s objective is to enable young Black and racialized students to visualize themselves having a career in the legal profession.
OJEN will conduct sessions in participating classrooms or community centres throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Under the program, visiting justice sector volunteers will present educational material to the students through games, presentations, and Q&As.
Historical discussions will spotlight trailblazing Black and racialized individuals and their importance in Canadian legal history. The Tout droit vers le droit program will also examine the intersections between the French language and Canadian law.
OJEN confirmed that at least one session will be headed by a Black or racialized justice sector professional. The organization said that it has obtained positive feedback from participants and expressed its intent to take the program beyond the GTA.
Last October, OJEN announced the recipients of 22 justice education bursaries provided by the Association of Justices of the Peace of Ontario, the Association of Ontario Judges and the Ontario Superior Court Judges’ Association to graduating grade 12 students transitioning to post-secondary studies leading to law-related careers.
In 2020, OJEN established the “Family Law for Young Mothers: Challenge and Change” program, a family law program to empower vulnerable young mothers and young pregnant women in the Hamilton area. It also utilized funding from Justice Canada to offer the free public legal education program “Together 180,” which was geared towards young offenders in custody and on probation.
In 2023, the Law Foundation of Ontario partnered with the Black Opportunity Fund to support the fund’s first Criminal Justice granting stream, which supported Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused nonprofit organizations that offered justice-related services to Black communities.
