Empowered Student Partnerships

ESP is a student-led partnership between the Toronto Police Service, the Canadian Safe School Network, ProAction Cops & Kids, the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, le Conseil scolaire public de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest, le Conseil scholaire district catholique Centre-Sud and the City of Toronto. The primary focus of ESP is to empower students to plan, organize, and execute a yearlong safe schools initiative in their local schools and communities. A priority of ESP is to collaborate with Toronto Police in addressing one of their service priorities, youth victimization and violence.

A central steering committee, chaired by the Toronto Police with memberships from all involved constituents, helps to organize main events, promote activities, and support the work undertaken by a local ESP Committee in each school. Representatives from each school’s ESP committee will meet monthly with Toronto Police and staff supports in Divisional Meetings. Three times a year the Divisional Committee will meet at a central city-wide committee to look at broader issues and help plan larger proactive activities. Primary funding for this initiative is through ProAction Cops & Kids (a voluntary network of corporate sponsors dedicated to initiatives involving Toronto Police). Program facilitation and support for additional funding will be made available through the Canadian Safe School Network (a not-for-profit registered charitable organization with a mandate to reduce violence in our schools and communities). Depending on local school board policies, students involved directly in ESP activities may be able to earn their 40 hours of community service required for high school graduation.

For more information on this program, please visit www.esponline.ca.