Co-written by Maximum Onus (former Revitaled Practicum Student) and Renea Julien (Student Volunteer)
INTRODUCTION
The justice system can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate, particularly for racialized youth and their families. Understanding legal rights and responsibilities often requires access to complex information that is not always presented in an accessible or engaging manner. The justice system can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate, particularly for racialized youth and their families. Understanding legal rights and responsibilities often requires access to complex information that is not always presented in an accessible or engaging manner.
A 2021 study by the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics found that Black and Indigenous youth are more likely to have negative interactions with law enforcement, often due to a lack of knowledge about their rights. This highlights the urgent need for legal education that is both accessible and effective.
The LawLantis project aims to bridge this gap by developing an interactive web app game that makes legal education easier to understand.
By combining research, workshops, and digital tools, LawLantis transforms legal learning into an engaging experience. This initiative is designed to serve as both an educational resource and a preventative measure to help mitigate youth crime.
This article will explore the importance of accessible legal education, outline the project’s objectives and implementation plans, and highlight key research findings that inform the development of this innovative tool.
LawLantis is built around several key components, beginning with the development of an interactive digital game and web application designed to teach young people about legal concepts in an engaging and accessible way. This platform will use real-world scenarios to help users better understand their rights, legal processes, and possible outcomes within the justice system. The project will kick off with a comprehensive research phase, drawing insights from legal experts, community members, and individuals with lived experience. This foundational research will guide the development of the game’s content, ensuring its accuracy and relevance to communities most impacted by legal barriers. Following this, a series of community workshops will be conducted to explore essential legal topics, gather feedback on the game’s progress, and provide valuable resources to youth and families. These workshops aim to foster direct engagement and legal education. The initiative will culminate in a dynamic launch event featuring guest speakers, interactive activities, and live demonstrations of the game, offering the community an immersive introduction to the LawLantis platform and its mission.
Importance of the Project
Legal education is often complex, difficult to access, and rarely designed with the needs of marginalized communities in mind. LawLantis seeks to bridge this gap by offering a digital, interactive learning tool that simplifies legal concepts and makes them engaging and relevant for youth and their families. Many racialized communities, particularly Black and Indigenous youth, face systemic barriers in the justice system, including over-policing, limited access to legal resources, and increased vulnerability to criminalization. By equipping young people with knowledge, this project aims to reduce misunderstandings and empower them to navigate the legal system more effectively.
Beyond education, LawLantis serves as a preventative tool. Through scenario-based learning, LawLantis encourages informed decision-making and helps youth avoid unnecessary interactions with the criminal justice system. It also promotes early intervention by addressing gaps in legal understanding before they lead to adverse outcomes. Importantly, this initiative extends its impact beyond individual users by raising awareness of the systemic injustices faced by racialized youth.
LawLantis helps foster a more informed community. This broader understanding can influence how institutions, educators, and families support youth, contributing to a more equitable justice landscape. LawLantis is not just about learning. It’s about empowerment, prevention, and sparking systemic change.
The main objective of LawLantis is to make legal education more accessible, interactive, and engaging for racialized youth and their families. Many individuals struggle to navigate the complexities of the justice system due to barriers such as legal jargon, lack of resources, and systemic inequities. By transforming legal learning into a digital, game-based experience, LawLantis aims to bridge this knowledge gap in an engaging way.
Specific Goals and Their Impact:
- Empower youth and families with a clear understanding of their legal rights.
- Use this tool as a preventative measure to mitigate youth crime and as an advocacy tool to empower youth to hold the justice system accountable.
- Highlight systemic challenges faced by Black and Indigenous youth in the justice system.
Strategies to Achieve These Goals:
- Expand knowledge through training and collaboration with legal experts and community leaders.
- Incorporate real-world insights by engaging with SMEs and individuals with lived experience.
- Offer free workshops and digital resources to ensure long-term accessibility.
By implementing these strategies, LawLantis fosters legal literacy, prevention, and systemic awareness among vulnerable communities.
Key Facts from OUR Research
The development of LawLantis is grounded in extensive research on legal accessibility, youth crime prevention, and systemic barriers in the justice system. Studies indicate that racialized youth, particularly Black and Indigenous individuals, are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system due to historical inequalities, over-policing, and a lack of legal education.
Key findings shaping the project include:
- The proven overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous youth in Canada’s youth justice systems.
- Gamification in education has been shown to improve knowledge retention by up to 90% compared to traditional learning methods.
- Youth surveyed expressed that legal education is often intimidating and inaccessible, reinforcing the need for interactive and culturally relevant resources.
These insights directly inform the game’s development, ensuring real-world scenarios are incorporated, and guide workshop content to address key areas of concern.
The LawLantis Project is an innovative approach to making legal education accessible, engaging, and community-driven. By integrating game-based learning, workshops, and research-driven insights, the project has the potential to empower youth, prevent crime, and foster systemic change. However, its success depends on community involvement. Organizations, educators, and advocates can support the initiative by participating in workshops, spreading awareness, and providing feedback.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, LawLantis aims to expand its reach, refine its educational modules, and establish itself as a long-term resource for justice-focused learning. With continued collaboration, this project can transform the way legal education is delivered and help create a more informed and empowered generation.
If you want to be a community partner on this project, please email info@revitaled.ca to schedule an introductory meeting. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay updated on key project milestones, including our community launch event.
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