Smart choices.
Safer futures.
Stronger youth.
School Watch prevents youth crime before it starts. Through free in-person workshops and the #FutureGrad campaign, we give Mississauga youth the life skills, civic awareness and volunteer opportunities to resist negative influences, avoid becoming a victim of crime, and choose safe, law-abiding paths.
What is School Watch?
School Watch actively prevents youth crime and delinquency by addressing its root causes. Every part of the program works both sides of the problem, keeping young people from offending and from becoming victims of crime. It’s all about three things:
Educating
Youth on crime prevention and life skills.
Engaging
Them in community clean-up events that replace high-risk behaviour.
Encouraging
Responsible and equitable reporting, and respect for the law.
Request a workshop for your school or organization
Mississauga high schools and community organizations can request free in-person workshops on any of the following topics. Every one targets a root cause of youth crime, or teaches young people how to avoid becoming a victim of it.
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
Youth vs. adult records, impacts on personal, academic and professional life, how issues like bullying can lead to charges, police record checks, and responsible reporting.
Communication Skills
De-escalating conflict before it turns violent, plus verbal vs. non-verbal communication, active listening, reliable sources of information, and informal vs. formal communication.
Critical Thinking
Evaluating information, assessing credibility, understanding biases, recognizing marketing tactics, and combating discrimination through informed decision-making.
Healthy Living
Cultural food influences, sugar intake, exercise, sleep hygiene, stress management, and how substance use and poor coping habits raise the risk of harm and criminal involvement.
Jobs & Careers
Career planning, navigating employment sectors, exploring the skilled trades, finding employment, avoiding job scams, and understanding compensation.
Online Safety
Social media’s benefits and drawbacks, managing screen time, privacy concerns, avoiding scams, understanding cyberbullying, and reporting incidents.
Personal Finance
Bank accounts, credit management, setting SMART financial goals, fraud and scam prevention, plus practical insights on quality choices, sustainability, and income taxes.
Personal Safety
Situational awareness, risk taking, peer pressure, identifying unhealthy relationship behaviours, and using technology for safety purposes.
The format of School Watch is fully customizable.
Contact Blessing Ugbekile to learn more and request programming for your school or organization.
ysm@safecitymississauga.on.caHelping more students cross the stage.
The #FutureGrad campaign encourages high school students to graduate. Our self-paced Graduation 101 course explains every requirement for graduating from secondary school in Ontario, and maps out alternative paths to graduation for students when the traditional way isn’t working, complete with a Graduation Checklist worksheet and a Did You Know fact sheet.
Success in school is more than academic achievement, it’s a shield against the allure of crime. That’s why staying in school matters.
Two ways to take part
Take the course yourself, or lead the campaign at your school and earn volunteer hours.
Take the Graduation 101 course
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 your course credits and your community involvement and volunteer hours.
Lead a #FutureGrad campaign
Are you a Mississauga high school student who wants to lead a #FutureGrad campaign at your school? Register for School Watch to unlock our Campaign Toolkit, with everything you need to run a successful campaign. Leads earn volunteer hours toward the 40 required for graduation.
Bring School Watch to your school.
Whether you’re an educator, a community organization, or a student ready to lead, we’ll help you get started. Reach out and let’s prevent youth crime before it starts.
Request ProgrammingQuestions about School Watch or the #FutureGrad campaign? Get in touch with our Youth Safety team and we’ll help you find the right programming.