Strategies
Education/Training
3

Education and Training to Prevent Crime and Mitigate its Impacts

Mitigating abuse and exploitation and promoting healthy relationships requires sustained and deliberate education and training. VST’s innovative education and training programs directed at youth from grades 5 to 12 help mitigate crime, reduce violence and foster a culture of safety.

Programs

Youth Symposium

0k+
Youth Participants in 2023
0%
of students want future symposiums with information on consent, human trafficking and healthy relationships
0%
of students feel more empowered to talk about these issues with others.
0%
of educators are interested in further VST resources on consent, healthy relationships & human trafficking

VST’s annual Youth Symposium brings 22,000 youth together for an online experience designed to address that young people process information differently at different developmental stages.

Delivered in partnership with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Police Service (TPS), the Youth Symposium sessions on what healthy relationships look like and the early signs of abuse and exploitation have a profound impact on reshaping youth’s understanding of consent and boundaries.

In 2023/24 VST deepened our relationships with the TDSB. With strong teacher support for the curriculum, we expanded youth attendance at the Youth Symposium by more than 400%.

T.E.A.R™ Program

0k+
Workshop attendees annually

The T.E.A.R™ Youth Leadership program educates youth leaders about gender-based violence and trains them to share information with their peer networks. 

T.E.A.R.™ workshops are delivered by trained youth leaders and adult facilitators in middle and secondary schools.

The workshops, presented to 10,000 youth annually, delve into the pillars of healthy relationships and the early warning signs of abuse. They also provide a place for youth to find support and help when navigating relationship challenges.

Ask Angela

0
Staff at Loblaws and affiliate stores who have completed Ask Angela training.
0k+
Staff trained to respond to the question: “Is Angela Here?”

Based on a UK campaign situated in pubs, when a woman asks, "Is Angela Here?" trained staff recognize the coded question and intervene to guide the woman to safety.

VST worked with survivors to understand where they were most likely to seek a safety intervention. Survivors told us most likely to be alone while shopping for necessities like food and household goods.

In response to this input, VST launched a Canadian version of Ask Angela in partnership with Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Thousands of staff at 238 Toronto Loblaws, Shoppers, and affiliate stores are trained to respond to shoppers who ask, "Is Angela Here?" Posters about the Ask Angela Campaign are in every Loblaws and Shoppers store, and a QR code equips people in danger with a potential way out.