Welcome to Leave Out ViolencE Nova Scotia! Since January 2000 we have been providing vital violence prevention and intervention to youth and professionals who work with youth. On this page you will find information about what LOVE Nova Scotia is, what we do, who can join and how to join, our program model, and LOVE in our communities.

What is LOVE?
Leave Out ViolencE is a unique long-term violence-prevention youth program. Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence undertake multi-media and leadership training to develop the positive life-skills, sense of community & critical thinking that enable youth to analyze causes of, and alternatives to, violence. Through LOVE, youth see the impact they have on others: youth choose to use their voice to educate themselves, their peers and our communities.

What does LOVE Nova Scotia do?

• New LOVE Youth join PhotoJournalism. Youth learn photography, writing and positive social skills to express themselves constructively without violence. These artworks become violence-prevention tools. Youth in PhotoJournalism see that their stories can and do make a difference – that's why they undertake Leadership Training.

• In Leadership Training, youth learn to use their experiences and understanding of violence to teach non-violence in their communities. Presentation, conflict resolution, and teambuilding skills, plus life-skills and self-esteem development equip and empower trained LOVE Leaders to make a positive impact in their schools and communities through LOVE Outreach.

• In Outreach LOVE Youth Leaders educate members of their communities about violence and violence-prevention. Leaders use role-playing, interactive methods, ONE LOVE (LOVE's youth newspaper), and photographs and writing from PhotoJournalism to examine the impact of violence and share violence-prevention strategies. Youth at this level are also invited to express themselves through Video. LOVE Leaders educate more than 1,500 youth and community members each year.

• LOVE's Peer Mediation Partnership provides training, program development and operation to St. Patrick's Alexandra & Joseph Howe schools. LOVE Youth Leaders and staff teach violence-prevention, positive life-skills, mediation, conflict resolution, active listening, and team-building to students in grades primary to 9. LOVE is helping St. Patrick's Alexandra & Joseph Howe schools create safe school environments, and they're helping LOVE create an innovative approach to school safety.

Who can join LOVE?
Leave Out ViolencE is for youth aged 13 - 18 who have been victims, witnesses or perpetrators of violence. Participants must be from the Halifax Regional Municipality.

LOVE defines violence as 'anything that hurts', so our youths' experiences include: child-abuse; sexual abuse; bullying (including assault, ostracization, verbal harassment); gang-related violence; self-mutilation (cutting); eating disorders; suicide (family members, peers or personal attempts); alcohol and drug use; domestic abuse; rape; sexual harassment; and hate crimes (racism, homophobia, sexism).

How does a youth join LOVE?
Youth aged 13 – 18 are referred to LOVE by doctors, social workers, teachers, parents, student support workers, and other professionals who work with youth. Because we have a Registered Social Worker on staff, we can also accept self-referrals or referrals from other youth. However, all participants must join voluntarily.

To find out more, please contact us.

What does LOVE cost?
There is no cost to be a LOVE participant. Thanks to the generous support of our community partners we are able to provide barrier-free programming to the youth who need us.

About our model
Although LOVE is a national organization with branches in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec as well as Nova Scotia, each region adapts our national model to the needs of their youth and communities.

LOVE uses a social-development approach to intervention, prevention and reduction of youth violence. Our model allows individual participants to move through our program at their own rate, while constantly benefiting from a combination of one-to-one support and group learning.

LOVE Nova Scotia's programming is founded on a positive psychology model. This approach emphasizes participants' personal strengths and assets to build their confidence and resiliency. Through this model youth are equipped and empowered to overcome their personal barriers and challenges to rejecting violence.

LOVE in Nova Scotia's Communities

LOVE Halifax provides vital violence intervention & prevention programming to 70 youth. Up to 20 new youth join us each year. We outreach youth and youth-serving professionals from across Nova Scotia, and educate the public through violence awareness exhibits.

• With a 92.5% attendance rate and 92% overall retention rate, LOVE successfully engages youth. In fact, seven of our Youth Leaders have been with us since 2000. These Leaders now give back to their communities as LOVE volunteers.

• 16 Youth Leaders educate our communities through LOVE Outreach. Last year Leaders educated 1205 youth and 561 adults. Since 2000, our Leaders have reached over 4000 people. To book an outreach contact us.

• 12 media / arts professionals volunteer more than 1300 hours to facilitate our programs every year: 50% have been with us for 2 - 4 years. Our dedicated volunteers not only help us keep staffing costs low, but they provide valuable skills, knowledge and mentoring to our youth.

• LOVE is using our unique model to create innovative Peer Mediation Programs at St. Patrick's – Alexandra and Joseph Howe schools. Supported by the National Crime Prevention Committee, this program is making our partnered schools safer.

• A LOVE Leader was awarded a Queen's Golden Jubilee medal for her contributions to her community through LOVE.