Student Association’s Deborah Crane gets formally recognized for her ongoing dedication to youth work
The line between a school and a community are closely connected and the Student Association’s (SA) own Deborah Crane, is a person who proves this notion to be true.
Doing everything she can to help make her school community a better place, it’s more than just a job for Crane. She treats every student that comes to her with trust and respect, no matter how far out the way.
On April 13, Crane won the Legacy Volunteer Award for her outstanding work with youth, and it was her son, Kurtis Crane, who nominated her.
“I nominated her because she puts in a lot of work with the community. She’s really passionate about it. She’ll help the youth get jobs and really make a difference in their lives,” said Kurtis. “Her work has impacted us drastically in such a positive way. I didn’t know she would win, but I definitely felt she deserved it.”
The award comes from the work done through her volunteer group, The Esplanade Youth Movement, which Crane founded three years ago. The most well-known example of the group’s work is a basketball game each summer between the youth in her community and the Toronto Police Service’s 51 Division.
Other examples include workshops like “Know Your Police,” where the goal is to break some of the negative stigma that tends to exist between young people and police. The group also helps youth to develop skills like fundraising and writing resumes.
By bridging this gap, Crane hopes to reinforce positive experiences.
On a more personal note, Crane can speak from experience. When her son Kurtis faced charges a few years ago, an officer named Crispin Barnes was the only one who reached out to them. Officer Barnes changed her perception of the police, and it was through this unique connection that really got the movement going.
All the charges against him were dropped, and he is now a student in George Brown College’s (GBC) sports management program, and works at the school as well.
“My son said to me ‘Someone’s been trying to reach you.’ I got an email from them. I looked at him, and I knew,“ Crane told The Dialog as she recalled the moment when she first found out about the award.
“It brought me back five and a half years ago when things were not the greatest for us. But things have really turned around since then,” said Crane. “I got very emotional. You’ve got to reach out. My son and I had a second chance. People helped us transform our lives. It’s therefore my responsibility to do that for others.”
Crane had received education in career and work counselling from GBC, however, life took a different turn for her; she’s found her passion in community organizing.
Ultimately, Crane seeks to make her group an official non-profit organization and has already begun the process of doing so. She has nothing but gratitude for the people who have helped make what she does possible.
