I first heard about Vancouver’s Odd Squad Productions Society (OSP) through both my friend Summer Dhillon and Jeremy Szafron. I recently found out that the Odd Squad Productions Society will be celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. A fabulous Gala Fundraiser will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre onThursday, June 7th at 5:00 pm at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Presented by CIBC Wood Gundy At Bental, and at the time of press supported by more than 25 corporate sponsors, the evening consists of a formal sit-down dinner, Live Auction, Silent Auction, and a few hidden surprises that have yet to be revealed.
All proceeds fund Odd Squad’s efforts to keep youth gang-safe and drug-free. I just looked at some of the statistics they provided me, such as “60% of illicit drug users are between 15 to 24 years old”. It is definitely important to be proactive and empower and protect youth.
The OSP educates young adults through film, presentations and workshops, and by providing peer mentoring support.
Odd Squad’s vision is to design programs that honour and motivate youth, encourage them to set positive goals, lay their own path and stay On Track by keeping drug-free for a long and healthy life.
The mission of the Odd Squad Productions Society is a very noble one:
To educate the public about the devastating effects that high-risk behaviour has on members of our community. Today’s youth face difficult choices, enormous peer pressure, and more readily available and potent mind-altering drugs, than at any other time in history. Odd Squad ascribes to the notion that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ and that drug prevention programs are a more cost-effective and healthier investment for youth than treatment.Through valuable and thought-provoking visual media tools, the Odd Squad organization brings its mission to life.
Read a bit about the story of the Odd Squad Productions Society
Founded in 1997 by seven determined Officers of the Vancouver Police Department, Odd Squad Productions Society (OSP) is a registered B.C. non-profit society and charitable organization that has developed a unique approach to community policing, crime prevention, and public education. Odd Squad generates funding through donations and grants from the private and business sectors. We are totally an independent organization that is not a part of the mandated and budgeted police department or government-funded ministries.
Our fundraising allows educational presentations, crime prevention programs, peer-to-peer mentoring workshops, and the production of award-winning documentary films. Having first partnered with the National Film Board of Canada for Through A Blue Lens (1999), Odd Squad has continued to produce numerous, hard-hitting, educational documentaries.
I hope to be able to make it to the gala, as it’s in June, usually when I travel for academic presentations. I loved the documentary Riding With Madonna, produced by the OSPS. You can check the trailer here
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