Welcome Back Program
This program is a collaboration with City of Edmonton Community Recreation Centres and outdoor pools addressing youth misbehavior. Youth who have been banned for 3 months or more but accept responsibility for their actions will be provided the option to participate in the Welcome Back Program.
This program involves youth in a restorative justice circle process, whose focus is on repairing harm and providing a meaningful resolution to all people involved. This process helps youth to take responsibility and understand the harm caused by their actions and provides a voice to city staff and patrons who have been harmed. We focus on the personal harm for the youth themselves in engaging in these risky behaviours with the objective of helping them understand the decisions they make. Trained volunteers facilitate the circle and all circle participants discuss what occurred and agree on the sanctions.
The program’s desired outcomes are:
- Youth gain better awareness and understanding of personal conduct and acceptable behaviors,
- Patrons, staff and local residents report an increased sense of safety,
- By being welcomed back to city recreation centres and outdoor pools, youth have a safe place for healthy activity.
When youth are banned from a recreation centre, they are more likely to engage in escalating and undesirable behaviour in the community as the recreation centres is one of the few safe and inclusive spaces where they can occupy themselves.
Supporting healthy outlets for play and activities for young people can help youth put their energy into rewarding pursuits that deter them from entering into gangs. City of Edmonton Community Recreation Centres and outdoor pools are safe places for play and recreation.
Conflicts arise in all areas of life and the Welcome Back Program seeks to provide an alternative, when conflict occurs, for youth to participate in determining what should be done to make things right and upon completion of the agreement be welcomed back City of Edmonton Community Recreation Centres and outdoor pools.
