Step Up and Step In is a campaign that was created for youth by youth in 2010. Step Up and Step In is designed to address the issue of youth violence by building on the City of Edmonton’s Fight Violence campaign launched in 2007 under the leadership of Mayor Stephen Mandel and Police Chief Mike Boyd. (www.fightviolence.net).
With support directed to YOUCAN Edmonton by REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities (www.reachedmonton.ca) Step Up and Step In has aimed to be a grass-roots initiative that focuses on youth engagement, youth resiliency and youth empowerment as a means to create a homegrown model for change. Through this support, the Step Up and Step In project was officially launched with a free music festival in Churchill Square on the International Day of Peace (September 21, 2010).
Interested people are invited to voice their views on their blog, view the photo galleries and participate in this project aimed to inform youth and reduce violence at school, at home and in our communities. See www.stepupandstepin.ca