Prevention is powerful.

Education and Training

VST’s education and training programs help prevent abuse and exploitation before it happens and create safer ways for victims to come forward when it does.

Our programming focuses on two key audiences:

Youth in grades 5–12, with a focus on those at higher risk of abuse or exploitation
Public-facing businesses and institutions, where trained staff may be the first to respond to disclosures of violence

Programs

Youth Symposium

Students participating in Youth Symposium

of students would like future symposiums with information on consent, human trafficking and healthy relationships.

of students found the symposium content relevant to themselves and their classmates.

0/3+

of students feel more empowered to talk about these issues with other people as a result of the symposium

of educators felt their students learned new information and valuable skills to support their well-being and help keep them safe.

Young people are navigating a world shaped by social media, shifting norms, and emerging risks — but most school curricula haven’t kept up.

With the right tools, youth can learn to recognize red flags, understand consent and build healthy relationships.

In partnership with the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Police Service, VST’s annual Youth Symposium reaches more than 24,000 students through an accessible, online program delivered in classrooms.

It gives students what school often doesn’t: clear, practical tools to recognize abuse, set boundaries, and protect themselves and their peers from danger.

In 2024, we expanded the Symposium’s reach with bilingual content, new lesson plans, and educator & parent facilitation guides, marking the program’s first fully bilingual year.

🎥 This year’s videos tackled urgent topics head-on, including pressure to send nudes, sex trafficking tactics, harmful ideas about masculinity, and the risks of meeting strangers online.

Each topic is approached with direct, age-appropriate language to give youth the confidence and vocabulary to stay safe and speak up.

T.E.A.R.

T.E.A.R workshop attendees

T.E.A.R. (Teens Ending Abusive Relationships) gives youth the knowledge and confidence to recognize gender-based violence, understand its dynamics, and share what they’ve learned with peers.

In 2024, T.E.A.R. reached more than 10,000 students–providing vital education still missing from most classrooms.

And when a young person is already in harm’s way, T.E.A.R. staff offer practical help, supporting them through complex, sometimes dangerous situations.

This year, in partnership with the Toronto District School Board’s Social Work Department, we launched the Mobile T.E.A.R. Program in six high-priority schools.

By working directly with students in higher-risk communities, we’re meeting youth where they are — and helping change lives early.

Ask For Angela

Adapted from a UK campaign first launched in pubs, Ask for Angela uses the discreet question “Is Angela here?” to prompt trained hospitality staff to quietly intervene on behalf of someone experiencing domestic violence.

To bring the campaign to Canada, VST consulted with survivors and asked: Where would you feel safest asking for help?

The answer was simple but powerful: “While doing something ordinary, like shopping at the grocery, or pharmacy.”

Today, thousands of staff at Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart across Toronto are trained to respond when someone asks, “Is Angela here?”

Posters in every store explain the campaign, and a discreet QR code connects those in need to private support and resources. In 2024, more than 400 people scanned the QR code and took a first, crucial step toward safety.