Catapulting kids

Inner city youth get an action-packed demonstration of all life in Prince George has to offer young people. All Grade 6 and 7 students from Harwin, Ron Brent, Quinson and Aboriginal Choice elementary schools will gather today at the UNBC sports centre, where a trade show of fun awaits.

Display areas will be set up by each participating agency. The city's Lego Club, the YMCA, army cadets, RCMP, sea cadets, fire department, Girl Guides, public library, Scouts Canada, UNBC and more will be arranged around the facility. Each one will have plenty of activities to sample.

"It is stations, but it is all hands-on activities. It's to show the kids what they could be doing, and excite them about their own potential," said RCMP Special Const. Davy Greenlees, a community safety officer with the city's Community Policing Centre (CPC). "It is big. We're taking up all the space on the soccer fields, and all three gyms, and the Wolf Den area, the upstairs studio, all over inside the sports centre."

The event was a CPC initiative, built to add more to their ongoing anti-gang theme. The CPC already reaches out to schools with their popular anti-gang presentation, the BRAVE anti-bully program, the DARE anti-drug program and other elements to get in between gangs and the kids they wish to recruit as members and/or addicts.

"We know that gangs target kids younger and younger, so we're showing kids a bunch of positive activities they can get involved with instead," said Greenlees. "If we can hook a few into doing some good stuff, instead of just hanging out available for trouble, the gangs can't recruit as easily. Kids involved in these groups just don't get recruited."

The agencies are stepping up with some activities beyond the usual static displays one might expect. The sea cadets, for example, are bringing a sailboat into the building. The army cadets are setting up a base tent with a Jeep, and compass exercise. The CPC will have a radar gun telling kids how fast they can run the track. The Scouts will have two trbuchets (similar to a catapult) to fling soccer balls across the field. The Lego Club will have a large pile of lego to piece together.

"It is to ensure kids, regardless of financial background, get a chance to participate, and find out things that they might enjoy doing, that are affordable to most people," Greenlees said.

Leadership students from Duchess Park, DP Todd and College Heights secondary schools will help organize the ebb and flow of all the younger kids, providing a positive two-way mentorship opportunity as well, said Greenlees.

Each elementary student will take home a package with information on all the groups and activities of the day. To capitalize on these groups' efforts to show the kids an action-packed day, and all the accompanying life lessons, the CPC will follow up by visiting each participating class in the weeks ahead and continue the recruiting into positive groups instead of the sinister ones.