It takes positive alternatives to keep young people from turning to the streets to fill their time.
On Feb. 28, Grade 6 and 7 students from Harwin, Ron Brent, Quinson elementary schools and the Aboriginal Choice School will spend a day learning about positive extracurricular activities at Northern Sports Centre.
Kidd Connections, or Kidd Conn, is an anti-gang event initiated by the Prince George Community Policing unit.
"The intention behind it was to show kids who may not have the experience to know what's going on in their communities after school. Instead of just hanging out in their neighbourhoods or maybe getting connected with gangs they could be finding that connection with groups like cadets and scouts," said community safety officer Special Const. D.G. Greenlees.
From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., students will rotate through interactive stations run by the Army Cadets, Sea Cadets, RCMP, Prince George Fire Department, Prince George Public Library, Lego Club, Girl Guides, Scouts Canada, YMCA and University of Northern B.C.
"Each of the groups have their own thing, and have been asked to come in and kind of give the kids a hands-on taste of what they could be doing," Greenlees said. "It's not like they're going to sit down to a classroom lecture on what's going to happen. They're going to do things and build things and climb on things and expend energy."
After Tuesday's Kidd Conn, members of the community policing unit will visit the kids in school to discuss what they learned and liked, as well as hand out coupon books for free visits to the various organizations that participated.
"We'll see how the first one goes, but it could possibly be an annual event and could grow larger, inviting more schools," Greenlees said.
