Schools Program

Project Rewind

Funded by and under the authority of the Ministry of Youth & Children’s Services (Youth Criminal Justice Division)

What is Project Rewind?

Through the facilitation of Mediation Conferences, the Project R.E.W.I.N.D. program is one innovative way in which we at the John Howard Society of Niagara (JHSoN) are meeting the needs of youth in our community.  Project R.E.W.I.N.D. stands for Restore, Events, With, Integrity, Negotiation & Dignity.

Any form of harming behaviour not only disrupts the educational process for those directly involved, but also affects the atmosphere within the schools and surrounding communities.

As a committed group, the Niagara Regional Police, the District School Board of Niagara, Niagara Catholic District School Board and the John Howard Society of Niagara are working hard to maintain a safe, caring school community, where every youth can feel the safety and security that is necessary to learn and grow.

What does the Project R.E.W.I.N.D. program offer?

Mediation Conferences are designed to address issues such as:

  • Bullying
  • Racial and cultural confrontation
  • Relationship difficulties/harassment
  • Minor assaults and fighting
  • Cheating
  • Stealing
  • Poor impulse control and Anger Management
  • Vandalism
  • Truancy
  • Rumour and gossip
  • Aggression

Often those responsible for the harming incident did not intend or anticipate the full extent of how their actions had affected the community around them. The degree of impact varies from family members, school staff, friends, and classmates.  They are often left feeling hurt, angry, fearful, confused or helpless in being able to effectively respond to the incident.

The Mediation Conference provides a safe, structured forum where those persons most affected by the harming incident are able to gather, and address how they had been affected by the incident. 

The Mediation Conference only focuses on one specific incident of harming behaviour.  It does not seek to fix blame, or determine who is “good” or “bad”, but affirms the integrity and respect of all the participants.  Its goals include:

  • A safe opportunity to express genuine feelings, concerns, hurts and apologies.
  • To increase awareness and understanding of the full impact of the harming behaviour.
  • To enhance the dignity and respect of all participants.
  • To empower everyone involved with the opportunity to play a significant role in ‘healing the harm’.
  • To develop an “Agreement” to which all participants can sign and commit.
  • To affirm a strong sense of safety and care to the school community.
  • To provide a powerful learning experience.
  • To support “positive closure”.

It is important to note that the Mediation Conference is strictly voluntary and no one is pressured to participate.

The participants include:

  • The person or persons harmed
  • The person or persons who are responsible for the harm and who willingly acknowledge responsibility for the incident
  • Other persons who have been impacted by the harming in some way and are willing to support the procedure

 
For further information about Project Rewind please contact:

Caroline Wright
School Diversion Program
John Howard Society of Niagara 
210 King Street
St. Catharines, ON  L2R 3J9
Phone: (905) 682-2657 ext. 258
Fax: (905) 984-6918
Email: cwright@jhs-niagara.ca

  

Project Turning Around

Project Turning Around is an alternative education program provided by the John Howard Society of Niagara for the DSBN. Each session runs half a day for the entire semester and contains up to 15 students along with a facilitator/counsellor who delivers cognitive based programming to students at risk of dropping out of school.  Students who successfully complete the program may receive as many as 2 co-op credits granted by their school.

R.A.G.E- Anger and Violence Awareness
R.A.G.E is designed to enlighten youth on the different forms and levels of anger and to offer youth an understanding of anger as an emotion. 

ST8 Talk- Comfortable in Your Sexuality
The ST8 Talk program’s main function is to help youth gain awareness and information on the important aspects of their sexuality, their bodies and their mind set.

Pursuit of Employment
The John Howard Society of Niagara has been dedicated to helping youth in their job finding process for many years. Pursuit of Employment will implement some of these strong techniques and resources into its own program to delivery these services to youth in the District School Board of Niagara. 

Reflections
The Reflections program is designed to help participants to look at themselves in a new light.  This program focuses on self-esteem and healthy decision making in the everyday lives of youth. 

Social Skills
The Social Skills program’s primary function is to provide participants with the basic application and comprehension of life skills.

4Real- Understanding Drugs and Alcohol
4 Real is a program in which participants will gain valuable knowledge and insight into the effects of substances on the body, drug classification, as well as the different treatment options available. 

For further information about Project Turning Around please contact:

John Howard Society of Niagara 
210 King Street
St. Catharines, ON  L2R 3J9
Phone: (905) 682-2657 ext. 234
Fax: (905) 984-6918