The HOS Reconnecting Youth Program is really one of a kind. It is a program that has positively influenced so many students in the Toronto District School Board throughout its 13 years of operation.
Due to Covid-19, the HOS program is currently on hold. For inquiries about our current Youth Employment Program, EYER, we invite you to find more information here.
The program has 3 main goals that we focus on within the curriculum:
Mood
Management
School
Achievement
Harm
Reduction
There are also 5 Modules that the students work on through throughout the semester:
- Getting Started is a means of creating group dynamics.
- Self-Esteem is all about giving the students the tools they need to boost their self-esteem.
- Decision Making looks at how to make positive decisions and also introduces STEPS (which stands for Stop/Think/Evaluate/Perform/Self-Praise).
- Personal Control is all about understanding our emotions in order to be able to maintain control over our feelings. “Knowledge is power” means that the more knowledge we have about ourselves, the more we are able to control our emotions. Control over our emotions means we learn to respond to situations rather than merely impulsively reacting to them.
- Last but not least is Interpersonal Communication. In this module we look at how our body language can change the tone of a conversation, as well as learning how to communicate effectively with others.
There are several additional techniques that students learn in the High on Success Reconnecting Youth curriculum, such as Snap Zap, Your Piece of the Pie, and Quieting Response.
After-School Program
The after-school program is an additional component of Reconnecting Youth that helps students take what they learn in class and apply it after their classes are done for the day. In the after-school program students are able to do arts and crafts, play board games, as well as participate in various after-school trips when available.
Reconnecting Youth was a good experience and helped me manage my temper. I learned that there is more to life than being negative and angry.
Raquel E.
I am now finishing my first year of college and have made the Dean’s Honours List, something I never would have achieved before Regesh’s RY program.
Kristin B.
Reconnecting Youth helped me be more successful in school. I don’t put myself down anymore.
Malatavan V.