Positive ‘Ripple Effect” at Youth in Policing forum in Ajax
Published August 1, 2023 at 10:46 am
More than 400 young people from across Ontario swelled the Audley Recreation Centre in Ajax Thursday for the 16th Annual Ripple Effect Youth Forum.
The Youth in Policing (YIP) participants were joined by Durham Regional Police and 11 other police services, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services.
Durham Police Chief Peter Moreira provided opening remarks and acknowledged how Ripple Effect “perfectly resembles the positive change that our community deserves.”
The forum began with inspirational speaker Aubrey Noronha, who shared his passion for creating a safer and kinder culture within the community.
Mike D’Urzo; a visualist, magician, and storyteller encouraged attendees to use creativity and envision a path to a successful life and Christene Lewis, a motivational speaker, youth advocate and author of the self-help book Hidden Truths, Broken Silence, engaged with attendees through hip-hop and her own personal experiences.
Project Sunshine, an organization focused on providing information and education to children with pediatric illnesses, also hosted an interactive workshop where attendees created more than 1,200 kits for pediatric patients and their families.
Participants also raised $1,425 for Durham’s Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre at the event. The money will be put towards YIPs grand total as the program continues to fundraise throughout the summer.
Each year, the Ripple Effect Youth Forum provides a unique opportunity for the community’s future leaders and ambassadors of change to earn their community volunteer hours through a day of exploring leadership, optimism, and empowerment.
Police services represented on the day include Cornwall, Gananoque, Guelph, Halton, Kingston, London, Niagara, North Bay, Owen Sound, Waterloo, Woodstock and York Region, as well as Durham.
YIP offers a paid personal, professional, and community development opportunity for youth aged 15-18. Since its inception in 2006, it has been running in collaboration with Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and has provided more than 2,000 employment opportunities and new experiences for future leaders in Durham Region.
The YIP program will be hiring for the Winter Initiative starting in August. Check out www.drps.ca/yip or contact [email protected] for more information.
