WEBVTT 00:00:01.300 --> 00:00:03.540 Welcome to Law Syrup, the show where we talk 00:00:03.540 --> 00:00:05.679 with special guests about hot topics in Canadian 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:08.359 law. This podcast is a co -production with the 00:00:08.359 --> 00:00:10.779 Ontario Justice Education Network, also known 00:00:10.779 --> 00:00:14.199 as OGEN. I'm your host, Herman Wong. Let's tap 00:00:14.199 --> 00:00:22.420 it. Before we begin, please note that this show 00:00:22.420 --> 00:00:25.120 is not intended to be legal advice or be a replacement 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:29.350 for a legal representative. Hey, everybody, and 00:00:29.350 --> 00:00:31.250 welcome to the show. We've been away for a little 00:00:31.250 --> 00:00:34.310 while. But before we launch into our second season 00:00:34.310 --> 00:00:37.170 this year, which we are very excited about, I 00:00:37.170 --> 00:00:38.950 thought it'd be a great opportunity to offer 00:00:38.950 --> 00:00:41.609 listeners an inside look at the Ontario Justice 00:00:41.609 --> 00:00:44.549 Education Network and what they do. They have 00:00:44.549 --> 00:00:47.409 been amazing co -producers of this show. And 00:00:47.409 --> 00:00:49.109 in the last few months, they've also released 00:00:49.109 --> 00:00:51.450 accompanying resources for all of our season 00:00:51.450 --> 00:00:54.369 one episodes. And they are all available on OGEN 00:00:54.369 --> 00:00:57.119 .ca. I definitely encourage you all to check 00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:59.060 them out, whether you're a teacher looking to 00:00:59.060 --> 00:01:01.820 find new classroom resources, or just someone 00:01:01.820 --> 00:01:03.560 who is curious about learning more about the 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:06.500 topics that we've covered here. But back to the 00:01:06.500 --> 00:01:09.120 matter at hand, which is OGEN in general. For 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:11.480 this episode, I had a great discussion with Ashley 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:13.900 Harry -Persaud, who is a program director at 00:01:13.900 --> 00:01:16.459 OGEN. So if you were ever curious about what 00:01:16.459 --> 00:01:19.480 OGEN does, then this episode is for you. Without 00:01:19.480 --> 00:01:23.849 further ado, here's what we talked about. All 00:01:23.849 --> 00:01:25.510 right. So Ashley, thank you so much for being 00:01:25.510 --> 00:01:28.650 here today. How are you? I'm doing very well. 00:01:28.750 --> 00:01:31.150 How are you? How's Daylight Savings treating 00:01:31.150 --> 00:01:35.109 you? I was just talking to John Palm, who helps 00:01:35.109 --> 00:01:37.010 with this podcast. I was saying I took a walk 00:01:37.010 --> 00:01:39.250 for the first time yesterday, like during sunset, 00:01:39.349 --> 00:01:41.609 and it was amazing because it was nice. It was 00:01:41.609 --> 00:01:43.430 warm. I didn't have to wear my boots and everything. 00:01:43.569 --> 00:01:46.030 And it was just like, wow, like I really missed 00:01:46.030 --> 00:01:49.650 sunlight, if that makes any sense. But how's 00:01:49.650 --> 00:01:52.980 it been for you? It's been an adjustment. I feel 00:01:52.980 --> 00:01:56.219 like the day that we lose that hour always whizzes 00:01:56.219 --> 00:01:59.079 past. But I did notice that it was much brighter, 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:02.519 longer yesterday. So that was nice. And it does 00:02:02.519 --> 00:02:04.980 feel like spring is on its way. I know. You finally 00:02:04.980 --> 00:02:07.659 see all the snow and ice melting, which is fantastic. 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:11.060 And usually in February, it's one of those moments 00:02:11.060 --> 00:02:14.069 where it's like... white snow turning black and 00:02:14.069 --> 00:02:16.870 it's all slushy and it's not that appealing but 00:02:16.870 --> 00:02:19.169 now it's like pretty yes but now it's like oh 00:02:19.169 --> 00:02:21.710 my gosh you can finally see like the grass underneath 00:02:21.710 --> 00:02:24.629 you know plants are starting to grow it's great 00:02:24.629 --> 00:02:26.449 i love it but then there's allergy season which 00:02:26.449 --> 00:02:29.270 is not the greatest but but today we're here 00:02:29.270 --> 00:02:31.870 to talk about ogen and thank you so much for 00:02:31.870 --> 00:02:34.050 taking your time to talk about it because ogen 00:02:34.050 --> 00:02:37.129 is the co -producer of this podcast and i've 00:02:37.129 --> 00:02:38.550 always found it interesting that we've never 00:02:38.550 --> 00:02:41.930 had an ogen centric episode so I think it would 00:02:41.930 --> 00:02:44.129 be a very good opportunity to talk to you today 00:02:44.129 --> 00:02:46.250 about what you do for OGEN and also what OGEN 00:02:46.250 --> 00:02:49.110 does in general. So my first question for you 00:02:49.110 --> 00:02:52.169 is actually this, what exactly is OGEN and what 00:02:52.169 --> 00:02:55.729 does it stand for and what does OGEN do on a 00:02:55.729 --> 00:03:00.289 day -to -day basis? Okay, so OGEN or the Ontario 00:03:00.289 --> 00:03:03.689 Justice Education Network is a non -profit organization 00:03:03.689 --> 00:03:07.270 that works across Ontario to help young people 00:03:07.270 --> 00:03:10.520 better understand the legal system. So we create 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:13.379 educational tools and programs to teach youth 00:03:13.379 --> 00:03:16.319 about the law and prepare them to handle legal 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:19.539 issues, you know, in their own lives. OGEN partners 00:03:19.539 --> 00:03:22.599 with a wide range of volunteers like judges, 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:26.039 lawyers, police officers, and law students who 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:28.199 bring their real world experience to the table. 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:30.840 and the goal isn't just to give young people 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:33.740 legal knowledge but to create a space for open 00:03:33.740 --> 00:03:37.219 discussions where both lead youth and legal professionals 00:03:37.219 --> 00:03:39.840 can learn from each other and we reach thousands 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:42.860 of youth each year to ensure more youth are equipped 00:03:42.860 --> 00:03:45.400 with the skills and confidence they need to help 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:48.439 navigate legal situations right that's amazing 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:50.960 and you know when i first learned about oja nashley 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:53.340 was on a linkedin post it was uh one of my friends 00:03:53.340 --> 00:03:57.080 um she was a justice education fellow And she 00:03:57.080 --> 00:03:59.219 had a posting about next year's Justice Education 00:03:59.219 --> 00:04:02.280 Fellows. So that's kind of how I fell into learning 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:04.159 about OGEN. And when I found out about what they 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:06.680 did, I thought it was incredible work. And I 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:09.419 really love the element of reaching out to youth 00:04:09.419 --> 00:04:11.780 in terms of justice education. And I thought 00:04:11.780 --> 00:04:14.060 the initiatives were really great. But I know 00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:16.120 that you've got a very interesting story about 00:04:16.120 --> 00:04:18.579 first coming into contact with OGEN as well. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:21.240 So when did you first learn about OGEN and get 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:23.839 involved with the organization? So I was in the 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:26.339 Law and Action within Schools program at Central 00:04:26.339 --> 00:04:28.660 Tech, and I remember the first mock trial we 00:04:28.660 --> 00:04:31.259 did in grade 10. It was an OGEN mock trial, and 00:04:31.259 --> 00:04:33.939 I believe it was a criminal one. And I also remember 00:04:33.939 --> 00:04:36.379 OGEN being around for a few other things. I remember 00:04:36.379 --> 00:04:39.000 a conference that the Canadian Civil Liberties 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:41.420 Education Trust put on, and there was a session 00:04:41.420 --> 00:04:44.660 run by OGEN with OGEN materials. I remember we 00:04:44.660 --> 00:04:46.980 had speakers come in. I believe this was coordinated 00:04:46.980 --> 00:04:49.360 from OGEN. We were introduced to different types 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:52.240 of lawyers. And honestly, before Laws and OGEN, 00:04:52.300 --> 00:04:54.220 what I knew about lawyers and the legal profession 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:57.019 was truthfully what I had seen on TV. I had no 00:04:57.019 --> 00:04:59.500 idea that lawyers did things outside of courthouses, 00:04:59.500 --> 00:05:01.839 you know, at that age. So OGEN really helped 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:04.399 open up my world and helped me delve into the 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:07.839 legal professional more personally. You mentioned 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:09.860 the mock trial program. Can you talk more about 00:05:09.860 --> 00:05:11.420 your experience with that? And what was that 00:05:11.420 --> 00:05:14.399 like to participate as a student? So the mock 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:16.779 trial, honestly, was a highlight of my high school 00:05:16.779 --> 00:05:20.220 career, for sure. I remember at the time, I thought, 00:05:20.339 --> 00:05:22.779 you know, you're so young. What was I, 15 or 00:05:22.779 --> 00:05:25.779 16? It felt so real and high stakes. I remember 00:05:25.779 --> 00:05:28.639 my team working diligently. You know, we prepared 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:30.819 for the case, the opening statement, the direct, 00:05:30.980 --> 00:05:33.139 the cross questions, preparing for what the other 00:05:33.139 --> 00:05:35.639 side might say, thinking up potential objections, 00:05:35.899 --> 00:05:37.879 fun things like that, along with the hard work. 00:05:38.220 --> 00:05:40.459 And then we show up at Old City Hall. They robe 00:05:40.459 --> 00:05:43.000 us. they tell us obviously tells before that 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:44.920 there was going to be a real judge presiding 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:48.439 over the case and oh my were we nervous but we 00:05:48.439 --> 00:05:51.240 were also such a competitive group so we did 00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:54.300 our best we won some parts not so much others 00:05:54.300 --> 00:05:56.800 and we got to meet some great justice sector 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:59.420 volunteers along the way i believe we had lawyer 00:05:59.420 --> 00:06:01.600 coaches and they were with us from the start 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:04.879 to the finish and obviously with the judges feedback 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:07.279 it was a blast Well, that's amazing. I didn't 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:09.500 even know that you went to Old City Hall to do 00:06:09.500 --> 00:06:11.060 this. You know, I think that's a really good 00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:13.800 experience to go downtown and see what the courts 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:16.420 is like. And what would you say to students who 00:06:16.420 --> 00:06:19.639 also might be considering participating in one 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:22.399 of the OGEN mock trials for the first time? So 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:25.060 I think experiential components are so impactful 00:06:25.060 --> 00:06:27.540 when it comes to learning about the legal system. 00:06:27.699 --> 00:06:30.019 I would say, hey, this is an opportunity for 00:06:30.019 --> 00:06:32.980 you to get into a role, build on skills that 00:06:32.980 --> 00:06:36.170 you are already building, such as public speaking, 00:06:36.389 --> 00:06:38.490 even critical thinking. I think it's a great 00:06:38.490 --> 00:06:40.829 opportunity, even if you're not interested in 00:06:40.829 --> 00:06:43.949 pursuing a career necessarily in law, because 00:06:43.949 --> 00:06:46.589 it lets you truly build skills that are transferable. 00:06:46.970 --> 00:06:50.470 Yeah, I definitely agree. And, you know, speaking 00:06:50.470 --> 00:06:52.689 of the mock trial, did you always know from that 00:06:52.689 --> 00:06:54.310 point that you wanted to be involved with the 00:06:54.310 --> 00:06:56.850 legal profession? Or do you know of anyone else 00:06:56.850 --> 00:06:59.269 that you were a student with who was inspired 00:06:59.269 --> 00:07:01.889 by that to pursue a career in the legal profession? 00:07:02.519 --> 00:07:05.699 Yeah, a few of us went on to do different things. 00:07:05.819 --> 00:07:09.420 One of my old peers is now a Toronto police officer. 00:07:10.019 --> 00:07:12.660 Another few of my friends are, you know, have 00:07:12.660 --> 00:07:15.420 their paralegal diplomas. A bunch of us went 00:07:15.420 --> 00:07:17.579 to law school. But truthfully, the mock trial 00:07:17.579 --> 00:07:21.139 was a pivotal moment for us at that age. It was 00:07:21.139 --> 00:07:23.339 one of probably the first true introductions 00:07:23.339 --> 00:07:26.120 we had to the legal process. And it was both 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:28.500 exciting and eye opening, you know, preparing 00:07:28.500 --> 00:07:32.139 our arguments, anticipating objections. the experience 00:07:32.139 --> 00:07:35.620 overall is incredibly authentic and I think at 00:07:35.620 --> 00:07:38.040 that time it just it became clear to me that 00:07:38.040 --> 00:07:41.800 being a lawyer or a representative of a role 00:07:41.800 --> 00:07:43.740 in the law is much more than just about arguing 00:07:43.740 --> 00:07:46.839 right it was about strategy collaboration effective 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:51.500 communication right and so that experience deepened 00:07:51.500 --> 00:07:53.519 my understanding of the legal profession's impact 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:56.620 and it further fueled my interest for pursuing 00:07:56.620 --> 00:07:59.660 a career in law Yeah, I think for all of us, 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.639 there's like that one aha moment. For me, it 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:05.279 was also going to the courthouse downtown, not 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:07.459 Old City Hall, but the one on University Avenue. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:10.240 And we sat in on a criminal trial and talked 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:12.740 to a judge. And I think it was one of those opportunities 00:08:12.740 --> 00:08:16.519 where we got to go. in person outside of the 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:19.579 classroom and see law in action versus just law 00:08:19.579 --> 00:08:21.959 in the classroom. And I think opportunities like 00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:24.980 that were really good. And OGEN does offer many 00:08:24.980 --> 00:08:27.180 of these experiences as well, which is why I 00:08:27.180 --> 00:08:29.620 think that something like the mock trial is such 00:08:29.620 --> 00:08:31.540 a great opportunity for students in high school 00:08:31.540 --> 00:08:34.000 to kind of try out their advocacy skills and 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:37.960 learn more about what an in -person live courtroom 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.039 session might be like. So after high school, 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:43.799 what did you do and what led you back to working 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:47.350 at OGEN? So really what led me back to OGEN, 00:08:47.350 --> 00:08:51.049 I was finishing up my undergrad degree. I was 00:08:51.049 --> 00:08:53.610 in fourth year, you know, thinking to the steps 00:08:53.610 --> 00:08:57.309 ahead of what I was going to get up to. And I 00:08:57.309 --> 00:09:00.029 did want to apply to law school, but I also wanted 00:09:00.029 --> 00:09:02.330 to get more of a taste of what working in the 00:09:02.330 --> 00:09:04.429 legal field was like. Obviously, I didn't have 00:09:04.429 --> 00:09:06.570 a legal degree, so I wanted to learn more about 00:09:06.570 --> 00:09:09.240 working in the profession overall. And I remember 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:11.899 reaching out to laws at that time and I said, 00:09:11.940 --> 00:09:14.500 hey, keep me in mind if you know of any postings. 00:09:14.740 --> 00:09:17.940 And I was sent one for a part time project officer. 00:09:18.220 --> 00:09:20.259 And I remember just being so eager to apply. 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:22.080 I remember thinking, wow, this would be perfect. 00:09:22.700 --> 00:09:25.419 And I ended up applying and I ended up staying 00:09:25.419 --> 00:09:27.740 and working for three years before I went off 00:09:27.740 --> 00:09:30.269 to law school. And that's great. And now you're 00:09:30.269 --> 00:09:33.149 a program developer at OGEN, and you work to 00:09:33.149 --> 00:09:35.669 support the educator support and outreach departments. 00:09:35.970 --> 00:09:37.889 I was wondering if you can tell us a little bit 00:09:37.889 --> 00:09:40.289 more about your day -to -day work that you do. 00:09:40.429 --> 00:09:43.750 So in my role, I'm involved in a variety of educator 00:09:43.750 --> 00:09:47.250 support and outreach initiatives. For my educator 00:09:47.250 --> 00:09:49.710 support role, I run the Poster Challenge, which 00:09:49.710 --> 00:09:51.789 is a great opportunity for our younger students 00:09:51.789 --> 00:09:54.610 to engage creatively with legal topics and to 00:09:54.610 --> 00:09:57.610 help express their ideas through artwork. I support 00:09:57.610 --> 00:10:00.049 the essay contest which encourages students to 00:10:00.049 --> 00:10:02.470 dive deeper into legal issues and explore them 00:10:02.470 --> 00:10:05.789 through writing. And I also help with the bursary 00:10:05.789 --> 00:10:08.470 program which provides financial assistance to 00:10:08.470 --> 00:10:11.269 students pursuing legal studies, helping them 00:10:11.269 --> 00:10:14.580 to take the next step in their education. so 00:10:14.580 --> 00:10:16.539 on the outreach side i'm involved in several 00:10:16.539 --> 00:10:19.480 programs as well i support the yes we can program 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:22.179 which focuses on career modeling and working 00:10:22.179 --> 00:10:24.299 with racialized youth to show them that they 00:10:24.299 --> 00:10:26.559 too belong here if they have an interest in law 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:29.659 i also work with family law for young parents 00:10:29.659 --> 00:10:32.720 program helping young parents understand their 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:34.919 legal rights and responsibilities and family 00:10:34.919 --> 00:10:38.259 matters. And I also help out with public legal 00:10:38.259 --> 00:10:41.080 education and information programming, which 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:45.320 is all about making legal info easy to understand 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:48.730 and accessible to. our audiences. And the goal 00:10:48.730 --> 00:10:50.690 here is really to make sure people have the knowledge 00:10:50.690 --> 00:10:53.330 they need to handle legal issues in their everyday 00:10:53.330 --> 00:10:56.169 lives. And I would say that these roles let me 00:10:56.169 --> 00:10:58.730 play a part in OGEN's mission to help young people 00:10:58.730 --> 00:11:01.490 build their legal knowledge and skills, legal 00:11:01.490 --> 00:11:05.210 capability, while also supporting educators and 00:11:05.210 --> 00:11:08.429 communities really across Ontario. That's amazing. 00:11:08.610 --> 00:11:10.470 And you mentioned a couple of different projects 00:11:10.470 --> 00:11:13.169 and different departments. What is it like working 00:11:13.169 --> 00:11:17.440 on all these things at once within OGEN? Working 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:19.639 on different projects and in various departments 00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:23.539 is really exciting. It can be a lot in one day, 00:11:23.620 --> 00:11:27.519 but I quite enjoy it. It keeps things fresh and 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:29.500 it gives me the chance to learn about different 00:11:29.500 --> 00:11:32.519 aspects of OGEN's work. One day I might be focused 00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:34.559 on something creative like the poster challenge, 00:11:34.779 --> 00:11:36.820 and the next day I'm supporting outreach programs 00:11:36.820 --> 00:11:39.399 that help young people understand family law 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:42.350 or their legal rights. it really is a great mix 00:11:42.350 --> 00:11:44.269 because it allows me to collaborate with different 00:11:44.269 --> 00:11:48.210 teams each with their own expertise and really 00:11:48.210 --> 00:11:50.750 allows me to see how it all comes together and 00:11:50.750 --> 00:11:52.730 how has it been like for you to work with the 00:11:52.730 --> 00:11:57.169 other people on the ogen team unbelievably awesome 00:11:57.169 --> 00:12:01.779 it really helps with some of the hours, the long 00:12:01.779 --> 00:12:05.059 hours of the day. And I would actually like to 00:12:05.059 --> 00:12:07.100 highlight two individuals in the outreach department 00:12:07.100 --> 00:12:10.059 that I have the pleasure of working with. So 00:12:10.059 --> 00:12:12.539 there's Cassandra Thomas and Anasone Kadiri, 00:12:12.659 --> 00:12:15.039 and they're both so vital. to the OGEN team. 00:12:15.559 --> 00:12:17.740 Cassandra is a program manager and she helps 00:12:17.740 --> 00:12:20.740 develop and deliver OGEN's educational programs, 00:12:20.899 --> 00:12:23.320 working with schools and community partners to 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:25.539 make sure they're impactful. And truthfully, 00:12:25.620 --> 00:12:27.840 Cassandra's passion for justice education really 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:31.059 shows in how she connects with the youth and 00:12:31.059 --> 00:12:34.360 brings the legal system to life for them. And 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:36.259 then there's Enesoni, the director of outreach, 00:12:36.519 --> 00:12:39.559 who does everything. um but to give you a couple 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:42.059 of examples she focuses on outreach and volunteer 00:12:42.059 --> 00:12:44.899 coordination she ensures that ogen's network 00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:47.700 of legal professionals stay strong she does a 00:12:47.700 --> 00:12:49.940 really really good job of matching volunteers 00:12:49.940 --> 00:12:52.960 to the right programs and honestly she keeps 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:54.960 everything running smoothly behind the scenes 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:59.840 but working with them has been so meaningful 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:02.539 because they're clearly so passionate about the 00:13:02.539 --> 00:13:05.440 work that they do so from start to beginning 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:07.980 that shines through in all of the work that they 00:13:07.980 --> 00:13:11.159 do. It's great to learn more about the people 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:13.120 at OGEN because I think you all come from different 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:16.120 backgrounds in terms of education and where you 00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:18.480 were in your legal career. And it's really nice 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.299 to see everybody come together to further initiatives 00:13:21.299 --> 00:13:23.480 that have to do with justice education, with 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:25.600 reaching out to young people, people who might 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:27.600 not know a lot about the law. And it's really 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:29.120 great to hear from you about all these different 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:31.259 initiatives and programs that OGEN is a part 00:13:31.259 --> 00:13:34.799 of. In your opinion, why should students, teachers, 00:13:34.919 --> 00:13:38.039 or the general public be interested in knowing 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:41.240 more about what OGEN does? That's a great question. 00:13:41.899 --> 00:13:44.200 People should be interested in OGEN because it 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:47.279 offers a unique opportunity to better understand 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:49.799 the legal system and how it affects our everyday 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:52.659 lives. For students, it's a chance to learn about 00:13:52.659 --> 00:13:54.879 their rights and responsibilities and develop 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:56.879 skills, like I mentioned, critical thinking, 00:13:57.080 --> 00:14:00.799 communication, and problem solving that are valuable 00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:04.360 in any career. For teachers, OGEN provides resources 00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:07.019 to bring law into the classroom. in a practical 00:14:07.019 --> 00:14:09.679 and engaging way. And I'd say for the general 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:12.779 public, OGEN helps build stronger communities 00:14:12.779 --> 00:14:15.620 by fostering a deeper understanding of the legal 00:14:15.620 --> 00:14:18.080 system and encouraging meaningful discussions 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:21.460 about justice. So OGEN doesn't just teach the 00:14:21.460 --> 00:14:23.919 law, it helps people connect with it on a personal 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:26.679 level, making it what I believe is more relevant 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:29.759 and accessible. Yeah, you know, when I talk to 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:31.919 teachers sometimes about the OGEN resources, 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:34.399 I think they're all very, very happy with them. 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:37.620 And they really enjoy using them to create classroom 00:14:37.620 --> 00:14:40.200 activities, generate discussion amongst students. 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:43.259 I think the resources that OGEN has, especially 00:14:43.259 --> 00:14:45.139 on the website, and I encourage anyone who's 00:14:45.139 --> 00:14:48.139 curious about the OGEN resources to go to OGEN's 00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:51.000 website because it's all there. But I think the 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:53.379 team at OGEN really has put a lot of time and 00:14:53.379 --> 00:14:56.000 effort into these resources. And I think that... 00:14:56.190 --> 00:14:58.389 teachers are responding well to them. And I encourage 00:14:58.389 --> 00:15:00.330 any other teacher who might not be using the 00:15:00.330 --> 00:15:03.669 OGEN resources to look more into them. I think 00:15:03.669 --> 00:15:06.350 OGEN does an incredible job at making sure that 00:15:06.350 --> 00:15:09.429 people feel like they have access to resources 00:15:09.429 --> 00:15:12.470 that are free and that they can use to further 00:15:12.470 --> 00:15:15.750 learning in their own classrooms. So Ashley, 00:15:15.809 --> 00:15:17.529 what's next for OGEN? Is there anything that 00:15:17.529 --> 00:15:20.190 you're currently looking forward to? Looking 00:15:20.190 --> 00:15:22.970 ahead, I'm really excited about the possibility 00:15:22.970 --> 00:15:27.029 of doing more work with newcomers. So, you know, 00:15:27.029 --> 00:15:29.029 there's a huge opportunity to help them understand 00:15:29.029 --> 00:15:31.269 the legal system and their rights as they settle 00:15:31.269 --> 00:15:34.070 into their new community. And while we're still 00:15:34.070 --> 00:15:36.889 working out the details, I'm really excited about 00:15:36.889 --> 00:15:39.529 more programming for newcomer youth. So I would 00:15:39.529 --> 00:15:42.350 say stay tuned, more to come on that. Well, that's 00:15:42.350 --> 00:15:44.110 very interesting. You know, I mentioned some 00:15:44.110 --> 00:15:46.549 of the resources that OGEN provides before, but 00:15:46.549 --> 00:15:48.210 what are some other ways that people can get 00:15:48.210 --> 00:15:51.509 involved with OGEN? Getting involved with OGEN 00:15:51.509 --> 00:15:54.309 is simple and impactful. people can contribute 00:15:54.309 --> 00:15:56.769 in a few different ways, I think. For those looking 00:15:56.769 --> 00:16:00.149 to volunteer, OGEN welcomes volunteers from all 00:16:00.149 --> 00:16:02.250 areas of the justice sector, judges, lawyers, 00:16:02.450 --> 00:16:04.610 law students, even those in the community who 00:16:04.610 --> 00:16:06.590 want to share their experiences and expertise 00:16:06.590 --> 00:16:09.049 with youth. I believe it's a great way to give 00:16:09.049 --> 00:16:12.210 back while also helping to shape the next generation's 00:16:12.210 --> 00:16:15.509 understanding of the legal system. And of course, 00:16:15.509 --> 00:16:18.230 if you're interested in donating, OGEN is a non 00:16:18.230 --> 00:16:21.230 -profit organization so donations are always 00:16:21.230 --> 00:16:23.830 appreciated and help support our educational 00:16:23.830 --> 00:16:26.710 programs across ontario and so to learn more 00:16:26.710 --> 00:16:28.990 about how you can get involved people can visit 00:16:28.990 --> 00:16:31.590 our website as you mentioned and i believe it's 00:16:31.590 --> 00:16:33.570 got all the information you need to get started 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:35.960 Yeah, I think there's a very good page there 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:38.840 about how to get involved. And again, it's not 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:40.740 just students and teachers who can get involved. 00:16:40.860 --> 00:16:42.919 It's anyone in the legal profession, as Ashley 00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:46.019 mentioned, judges, lawyers, paralegals, anyone 00:16:46.019 --> 00:16:48.179 who might be interested in helping out. I think 00:16:48.179 --> 00:16:50.159 OGEN would very much appreciate their support, 00:16:50.379 --> 00:16:52.279 especially in terms of their justice education 00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:55.000 initiatives. But apart from that, those are all 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:56.559 my questions, Ashley. I want to thank you so 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:58.259 much for taking the time out of your day to speak 00:16:58.259 --> 00:17:00.720 to me about OGEN. And I think we really needed 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:03.120 an OGEN episode. And I'm really happy that you 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.059 were able to share your answers with us. So thank 00:17:05.059 --> 00:17:07.279 you so much once again for joining us. Thank 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:09.900 you. It's been so nice to talk about what we 00:17:09.900 --> 00:17:16.660 do here. Thank you. Thank you for tapping into 00:17:16.660 --> 00:17:19.599 this episode of Law Syrup. Law Syrup is produced 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:22.599 by me, Herman Wong, and the Ontario Justice Education 00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:25.799 Network. For more information and for accompanying 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:29.279 resources, check out ojen .ca and our show notes. 00:17:29.480 --> 00:17:30.619 See you next time.