Kids, Cops & Computers - Community Knowledge Centre - Toronto ...

From humble beginnings, the Kids, Cops & Computers program nowboasts an impressive 400 new students coming onto the Program thisacademic year. This brings our total to 1,800 students who have benefitedfrom being digitally connected and receiving police mentorship.We are proud to act as facilitators. We bring partners together to achievesomething quite magical. We collaborate with the Toronto District andToronto Catholic District School Boards who identify participating schools.The educators at those schools help select the students and then supportthem throughout their first year on the Program. We then work closely withToronto Police Service officers who conduct in-school “Lead and Learn”sessions with the kids. Our volunteers provide incredible support at ourevents. We benefit from the generosity and philanthropy of our manyindividual and corporate donors; without them we would not exist. Togetherthese partners allow us to facilitate the Kids, Cops & Computers programand make a meaningful difference in young people’s lives.One significant enhancement to the Program this year is we have gonepaperless. At our “Launch” (where we meet the student and their parent atschool to introduce the Program, sign them up and deliver their laptop) wehave done away with paper registration forms. The kids log on to a schoolcomputer and register on-line. This reduces errors, saves time and gets the kids home faster with their new laptop!While we have achieved significant growth over the past few years, we have lofty ambitions. Our ability to expand theProgram to other regions is only limited by the funding we generate. As you read this report, I would encourage you tobecome an active ambassador and tell our story to friends, family and business associates. We have worked hard to earnyour support and we pledge to leverage your donation or sponsorship as far as possible for the benefit of the kids. Theyare worth every penny!Clayton SholdExecutive DirectorMerry Go Round Children’s FoundationExecutive DirectorRemarksWhat We DoMost people take computer and Internet access for granted. Think for aminute how would you make out being digitally disconnected?Without access to computers and the Internet kids fall behind in theirtechnology literacy, school work, grades and ultimately their self-esteemsuffers.The Kids, Cops & Computers program was established 15 years ago toassist and build bridges for young people in at-risk areas. Partnering withthe Toronto Catholic and Public School Boards, the Toronto Police Serviceand working with students in Grades 7 through 12 theKids, Cops & Computers program provides a unique offering.Students from priority neighbourhoods are selected by their teachers basedon need and learning potential. New laptops are provided to them and,where needed, an Internet connection is also included. The key objective isto level the playing field of educational opportunity. Throughout the schoolyear, police officers meet with the participants in a supporting, educationalenvironment and build a positive framework for kids to interact withauthority. A key element of the Kids, Cops & Computers program is thatyoung people can interact in a positive manner with police. We help kidsfrom a young age realize the positive choices they can make.Kids, Cops & Computers also focuses on encouraging kids to be goodcommunity citizens (making outstanding contributions to the well beingof the community without the expectation of remuneration or reward).We recognize those who have a profound impact in their community byproviding multiple good citizen scholarships annually.“The KCC program has provided me with the essential materials needed tofurther accomplish myself academically. I am so grateful for all that MerryGo Round has done for me - it has changed my life.” - Joshua D.EDUCATE MOTIVATE GRADUATE!4 5www.kidscopscomputers.org