YIPI growing public safety leaders through mentorship

When Brianna Hodgson-Douglas first saw her acceptance letter to Sheridan’s Police Foundations program, she jumped and screamed.  

“That was the moment I knew what I was going to do with my life,” she recalls. 

That passion led Hodgson-Douglas to apply for the Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI) where she became one of just 35 Peel Region high school students chosen from over 1,200 applicants for the eight-week summer program at Sheridan’s Davis Campus in Brampton. She’s now set to begin her Police Foundation studies at Sheridan this fall, with YIPI giving her a strong head start. 

“I've met one of my main professors and have earned some credits already,” she says. “Being able to sit in a classroom (at Sheridan), I will be happy to learn because it’s a topic I’m genuinely interested in and will be able to use to my advantage when I apply to the police force.” 

YIPI is a partnership between Sheridan and Peel Regional Police (PRP) which provides youth between 15 and 18 years of age who reflect the cultural diversity in the Region of Peel with the opportunity to develop life, job and leadership skills. 

READ MORE: Sheridan and Peel Regional Police collaborate for the 2025 Youth in Policing Initiative 

Students spend their days in Police Foundations classrooms and labs, gaining hands-on experience with Forensics, crime scene investigation and more, while also giving back through community days that support organizations serving vulnerable populations. The partnership is the only one of its kind in the province which offers an accredited postsecondary opportunity for the YIPI participants. 

“YIPI participants receive constant support from faculty in and out of the classroom,” says Harris Huska, a professor in Sheridan’s Social Service Worker program in the Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies, who serves as the primary instructor for YIPI. “They hear firsthand what policing and helping people in the community looks like in the 21st century.” 

The program blends academics and hands-on learning with mentorship from both Sheridan faculty and PRP officers, who share subject matter expertise as guest speakers.

“[Being a YIPI participant] is something I will never forget and I'll take it with me wherever I go.”

–Brianna Hodgson-Douglas, YIPI participant and Sheridan student

The 2025 YIPI cohort also benefitted from the guidance of 10 previous participants who returned as mentors. 

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where you are provided amazing resources to learn and connect with so many different people,” says student mentor Sarah Chen. “This program will open your eyes to the world and grow you in ways you would’ve never thought.” 

“Harris Huska became an incredible mentor,” adds student mentor Jeremiah Lobo. “He was patient, approachable and funny, but also deeply insightful. His talks opened my eyes to the many pathways policing can take.”  

Hodgson-Douglas agrees. “He made sure we knew what we’d be getting ourselves into if we were to join policing and he always helped us when needed.” 

And Chen adds, “Our instructors encouraged us to ask questions, gave constructive feedback, and made the effort to connect with us as individuals. They also gave us academic tools and real-world guidance... and showed me how to apply what I was learning.” 

For Hodgson-Douglas, the YIPI experience was more than a summer program — it was a launching pad for her future at Sheridan and in policing.  

“I am very thankful for this experience that I was lucky enough to be chosen for. This is something I will never forget and I'll take it with me wherever I go.” 

YIPI participants leave the program with dual credit in college-level Forensics and a security certificate, which will allow them to work as a security guard when they turn 18. YIPI is funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the Peel Regional Police Service Board. 

Discover how you can prepare for a career in law enforcement or security by earning an Ontario College Diploma in Police Foundations. 

Top image: Harris Huska, Brianna Hodgson-Douglas and Sheridan Interim President Rajan Sandhu.

Middle image: Student mentor Sarah Chan uses a magnifying glass to examine a fingerprint.

Bottom image: Student mentor Jeremiah Lobo uses photography skills to demonstrate what crime scene investigation can look like.