LOVE Toronto is thrilled to announce the launch our local Rexdale Photojournalism Program at Humber College. It is our first foray into digital photography and allows the youth to explore the issues of youth violence using up to date technology and equipment. They have been busy documenting their lives and community and are eager to share their work with you. Please click on the link below to see some of their creative and insightful work.

This project is supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Henry's Photo Video Digital, Telus, and Humber College. Click Here for Pictures

Photojournalism: Youth are immersed in a yearlong program that develops the photography and writing skills necessary to document the violence that surrounds them. Participants learn to express and document their thoughts and feelings about what violence means to them and how it affects their lives. Programs are offered at local community colleges or universities and are led by media and social service professionals.

Leadership Training: LOVE youth who have successfully completed the Photojournalism program learn skills to help them become active leaders against violence in their schools and communities. Skills include: public speaking, anger management, role-playing, active listening, conflict resolution and group facilitation. To complement this program, each year, 5-day's of intensive leadership training is held at a summer camp in Haliburton, Ontario. Youth Leaders from across the country unite with the goal of learning how to reduce youth violence in their schools, neighborhoods and homes.

School and Community Violence Prevention Outreach Program: LOVE Youth Leaders educate their peers, professionals, and concerned community members about violence and violence-prevention. Leaders use their presentation skills, personal stories, as well as educational tools created by the young participants, to examine the impact of violence and share violence-prevention strategies. Each year across Canada, Leaders educated more than 40,000 youth and community members.

Violence Prevention Committees: With the guidance of LOVE staff and youth leaders, Violence Prevention Committees are established in recommended schools, creating a permanent presence. Students meet regularly throughout the school year to create projects that communicate a message of non-violence to the entire student body. Examples of some of these projects are photojournalism exhibits, school newsletters, assembly presentations and presentations to parents and faculty members. The goal of these committees is to facilitate students' ownership of the violence prevention initiative in their schools.

Violence Prevention Educational Tools: LOVE Youth create tools to communicate their message of non-violence. These tools are used to reach thousands of Canadians across the country. They include:

NEWSPAPER: ONE LOVE – published each year, is comprised of writing and photographs created by LOVE youth in Photojournalism Programs across the country. Over 30,000 copies are distributed across Canada through schools, youth centers, libraries, health clinics and universities.

EXHIBITS display writing and photography produced by LOVE youth across the country. Exhibit locations include schools, public buildings such as museums, art galleries, police headquarters and courthouses. These exhibits raise public awareness of the issues related to youth violence.

BOOKS - LOVE has published 3 Books: LOVE Works! (1998), The Courage to Change: A LOVE Teen Survival Guide (2001), L'art de vivre sans violence, (2002). These publications open a window into the world of youth violence and offer reality-based solutions.