REGINA — The Scott Police Academy Showcase turned the Scott Collegiate into a front-row look at Canada's only program of this type with presentations of trust, teamwork and possibility. Watch our SaskToday video, capturing the day.
The showcase welcomed Grade 8 classes from across Regina Public Schools and offered a rare, hands-on look at a program that is reshaping how young people understand policing.
The Scott Police Academy is a partnership between Regina Public Schools and the Regina Police Service, built to give students a real-world learning experience led by teachers and officers side by side. As the academy enters its sixth year, interest is growing fast and so is its impact.
“We had about 30 schools rotating through,” explained program co-ordinator Danielle Sebastian. “Students were introduced to many sides of policing. This program is unique in Canada. There is nothing else quite like it.”
Throughout the day, students moved through live demonstrations by the Regina Police Service Explosives Unit, SWAT, and the Canine Unit. A bomb robot rolled across the floor. Shields and tactical gear were laid out up close. The SWAT team brought its TAP vehicle. Drones hovered. The dogs, as always, stole the show.
But the real lesson was not the equipment. It was the people.
“This gives us a chance to give back to the community,” shared Sgt. Todd Jerome, school resource program supervisor with RPS. “Students get to see police officers as regular people. That connection matters. It mattered to me growing up, and it is one of the reasons I became a police officer.”
Jerome spoke about bonds that form when officers are present not as authority figures, but as mentors. He still keeps in touch with school resource officers who helped shape his life. That same bond is now being built at Scott.
For Const. Tim Logan, a resource officer with the academy, that human connection is the heart of the program.
“This uniform does not define who I am,” he told students. “Under it, I am a person first. I bleed the same. I care about the same things.”
Logan says the academy embraces diversity and ensures every student feels safe being exactly who they are.
“We have a wide range of cultures, beliefs and identities here. We make space for all of it. That is what makes this program special. We want students to see the person before the badge.”
Students asked sharp questions.
SWAT leader Sgt. Neil Coulthard says moments like this matter.
“We get to show what we actually do,” he explained. “The equipment, the calls, the teamwork. It helps people understand the role and the responsibility.”
For Grade 9 student Dominic Merk, the academy already feels like home.
“I would encourage anyone to join,” he shared. “The staff are really nice. Everyone belongs.”
That sense of belonging is by design.
Modelled loosely after programs in the United States but built for Regina, the Scott Police Academy focuses less on enforcement and more on community. Students still learn math, science and core subjects, but lessons are adapted through real-world policing themes. Guest speakers, hands-on experiences, and mentorship are part of the daily rhythm.
Some students may go on to policing careers. Many will not.
What they all leave with is confidence, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of how communities work best when trust is built early.
“This is about learning, connection and opportunity,” Sebastian said. “We want students to see what is possible.”
