Background
At Nelson Mandela's request, the Award was introduced in correctional centres in South Africa in 1994. Since this time, The President's Award for Youth Empowerment reports having enrolled over 40,000 young offenders aged 14-18 into the program. Young offenders interviewed after their experience with the Award described positive changes in their behaviour and attitude and reported that, as a result of being involved in the Award, they learnt a range of new skills and had been afforded positive experiences they had never had before.
Impact and Benefits
Research has shown young offenders' participation in the Award results in a positive shift in attitudes towards re-offending, higher levels of victim empathy and a heightened awareness of the importance of helping. These Award participants experience increased confidence, communication skills and respect for others, as well as improved relationships with peers and staff.
The Award offers a non-formal education framework in which young people set their own targets, and choose the activities in which they want to participate in the areas of developing skills, keeping physically active, giving service and experiencing adventure. It can be adopted and fitted to the needs of other programs, such as the ones present in correctional facilities. The Award is participant-centred and can play a critical role in young people's development during their time in correctional facilities and after their release. More information about our impact measures can be found here.
Funding & Support
With generous funding from the Department of Justice Canada, the Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut Division have been afforded the opportunity to create the YRP. We are pleased to use this funding to sponsor participant enrollment fees, activity costs, and materials associated with the Award journey.
We are fortunate to work with a number of organizations which support young persons at-risk in their Award activities. A special thank you to:
Contact Us
For more information about the YRP and how to get involved, we invite you to connect with a Program Officer in our Division Office.