School Watch
What is School Watch?
The School Watch program teaches youth how to make smart and safe choices on their path through young adulthood!
School Watch is all about…
Educating
youth on crime prevention and life skills;
Engaging
them in community clean-up events; and
Encouraging
responsible and equitable reporting
Mississauga high schools and community organizations can request in-person workshops on the following topics:
Graduation 101
Everything from graduation requirements and volunteer options to pathways for exploring post-secondary and career opportunities like the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP).
Criminal Records
Explore youth vs. adult records, potential impacts on personal, academic, and professional life, how issues like bullying can lead to criminal charges, police record checks, and responsible reporting.
Communication Skills
Dive into verbal vs. non-verbal communication, active listening, conflict de-escalation, reliable sources of information, and understanding informal vs. formal communication.
Critical Thinking
Discover critical thinking essentials such as evaluating information, assessing credibility, understanding biases, and applying skills to navigate modern challenges, including recognizing marketing tactics and combating discrimination through informed decision-making.
Healthy Living
Learn about cultural food influences, sugar intake, substance use, exercise, sleep hygiene, stress management, and strategies for improved physical and mental wellbeing.
Jobs & Careers
Explore career planning, from navigating employment sectors and exploring the skilled trades, to finding employment, avoiding job scams and understanding compensation.
Online Safety
Examine the digital world including social media’s benefits and drawbacks, managing screen time, privacy concerns, avoiding scams, understanding cyberbullying, and reporting incidents.
Personal Finance
Delve into bank accounts, credit management, setting SMART financial goals, fraud and scam prevention, and practical insights on quality choices, sustainability, and income taxes.
Personal Safety
Unpack personal safety, including situational awareness, risk taking, peer pressure, identifying unhealthy relationship behaviors, and utilizing technology for safety purposes.
The format of School Watch is customizable!
Please contact Lauren Kinne (ysm@safecitymississauga.on.ca) to learn more and request programming.
Future Grad Campaign
What?
The #FutureGrad campaign aims to encourage high school students to graduate! Our campaign course Graduation 101 explains all the requirements for graduating from secondary school in Ontario, and offers information on alternative paths students can take to graduation, if the traditional way isn’t working for them. Our course includes a Graduation Checklist planning worksheet and Did You Know fact sheet.
Why?
Success in school is more than just academic achievement—it’s a shield against the allure of crime. Yet, the numbers paint a stark reality: 40,000 Canadian students drop out annually, with a staggering 1 in 3 dropouts exiting before Grade 9. The repercussions echo far beyond the classroom—over 80% of federal jail inmates are school dropouts.
Why?
Register for the Graduation 101 course by clicking here! The course is self-directed, self-paced, and available 24/7 on our online platform. At the end of the course, you can download a Graduation Checklist to plan course credits and community involvement/volunteer hours.
If you’re a high school student in Mississauga and you’re interested in leading a #FutureGrad campaign in your school, register for our School Watch program by clicking here! You will gain access to our Campaign Toolkit, which includes everything you need to run a successful campaign. Campaign leads earn volunteer hours which can be used toward the 40 hours required for graduation.
