VPD Cadets: Our Future Community Leaders. The future of Vancouver will be shaped by the young people growing up in our city today.
They will become our healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, educators, tradespeople, community leaders, and parents. The investments we make in them today will help determine the kind of city we become tomorrow.
Many young people are navigating a world marked by increasing isolation, uncertainty, and pressure. Across Canada, youth report some of the highest levels of loneliness of any age group. Many struggle to find meaningful connections, positive role models, and opportunities to build confidence and resilience.
They need places where they belong. They need mentors who believe in them. They need opportunities to challenge themselves, develop leadership skills, serve their communities, and discover what they are capable of becoming.
That is exactly what the VPD Cadet Program provides.
The VPD Cadet Program is one of the most successful youth leadership programs in our city.
Founded in 2014 and fully funded by the Vancouver Police Foundation, the program serves students in Grades 10 to 12 from across Vancouver. It is not a police recruiting program. It is a leadership, mentorship, and life-skills program designed to help young people become the very best version of themselves regardless of circumstances.
Each year, approximately 90 cadets take part in an intensive nine-month program, supported by Vancouver Police officers, volunteers, educators, and community leaders. Recruits are selected with access, barriers, individual circumstances, and potential at the forefront, then challenged to grow physically, emotionally, socially, and academically.
Cadets participate in leadership training, fitness and wellness programming, academic support, first aid certification, community service initiatives, outdoor leadership experiences, public speaking, teamwork development, and post-secondary preparation.
The program provides experiences many of the youth have never had before. Experiences that build confidence, expand horizons, and help young people discover strengths they did not know they possessed. The results are extraordinary. Cadets leave the program with stronger leadership skills, greater confidence, lasting friendships, and a clearer vision for their future.
Since its inception, more than 600 young people have participated in the VPD Cadet Program. More than 90% go on to pursue post-secondary education.
Please visit the VPD website for more information on the VPD Cadet program.
Donate to the Cadet Program
Your gift will save lives, give hope and create positive future for Vancouver’s most vulnerable youth. Thank you!