successbl

Previous SBL mentor shares his story of growing up in Jane and Finch. See the story below:

Abdul Nur, 19
Jane and Finch

I grew up in a five-bedroom townhouse in the ­Edgeley Village community housing complex. My whole life I had neighbours and friends who looked out for me. I have seven ­brothers and sisters, five older than me and two younger. My dad was a veterinarian in Somalia, but he now works in a shipping department. My mom keeps me on the right path.

When I was 16, I hung around with guys who would just roam the streets; we were like a flock of sheep, all following each other. Then one day in 2012, two of my friends got arrested on robbery charges. Police ransacked the community centre, taking them out in handcuffs, shoving them inside cruisers. And I’m watching this thinking, “Yo, these are the people I’m running around with.” I realized that would be me soon, getting carted away. I stopped hanging around with them after that.

Instead, I spent my time volunteering with a community group, Success Beyond Limits. Some of my older siblings had been involved in the program, which uses youth leaders to teach other kids about education and life goals. I worked with them as a peer mentor over four years. Today I teach a spoken word workshop once a week, and we’re taking a group from the community to perform at the Parapan Games this summer.

I graduated high school in 2013 but returned for another semester to improve my grades. I’m now in my first year at York—it’s a 10-minute walk from our house. I’m studying business management but thinking of switching to poli-sci. My mom always wanted me to be a doctor, but I want to be a teacher so that I can go back and teach in the community. I want to have a hand in how young people at Jane and Finch will grow up. They don’t have enough role models. If you’re a teacher, you’re going to be with them through some of the crucial points in their lives; you can have a huge influence.     – as told to Lauren McKeon

http://www.torontolife.com/informer/features/2015/01/21/toronto-is-failing-me-i-want-to-teach-kids-that-this-neighbourhood-isnt-a-curse/

It has been 6 months since the tragic passing of Abshir Hassan – a TDSB teacher, a community activist, graduate student and SBL family. As we continue to mourn his loss, we have been thinking about what it means and what comes next.

In continuing the important work Abshir was doing in the Jane and Finch and Lawrence Heights Community, in partnership with York University, SBL has established an awards fund looking to invest in young people who share first and foremost a similar passion in the uplifting of their communities. The award is being organized by two of Abshir’s closes friends and SBL staff Tesfai Mengesha and Sam Tecle.

Sam Tecle was on Metro Morning speaking to Matt Galloway sharing stories about growing up with Abhsir Hassan or has he refers to him Ab.

Here’s a link below:

http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/episodes/2015/01/20/abshir-fund/

You can donate to Abshir’s Award Fund at the following link:

forabshir.ca

With Toota going back to school, we posted a position for our After School program and Youth Space at Westview.  The pool of applications was incredible, and there were a number of candidates who would be phenomenal, ready to hit the ground running.

We are excited to announce that Sam Tecle is the newest member of the SBL team.  Sam has a long-history with our program as a teacher in our summer program, as well as a consistent volunteer and mentor to many of our mentors.  Currently working on his PhD through the York University Faculty of Education, Sam brings a wealth of experience having grown up in the Jane and Finch community, working as a teacher, and deeply involved in community initiatives.

Most importantly, he will be a welcoming face in our programs.  He will begin on Monday, January 19^th and will be reachable through s.tecle@successbl.com as of Monday.

On Friday, January 9^th youth all over the GTA gathered at the Rogers Center for the 2015 Jays Care Foundation Amateur Baseball Clinic.  Thanks to our great friends at TD Bank, SBL youth enjoyed an evening of relationship building and discovery.

This opportunity incorporated many of the key elements in line with SBL’s mandate , including exposure of both the city and new activities and a space for relationship building. Students were given the opportunity to learn baseball fundamentals, explore the Blue Jays facilities all while having a blast!

“It was a great day. We got to do many different things. I’ve never played baseball before and I got to learn about it.”

-Haji Shee- Grade 9

The jays clinic was an amazing experience because i got to learn the fundamentals and techniques of playing baseball and got great advice from experienced players 😀

–Malik Mude- Grade 10

It was refreshing for the youth to practice baseball while leaving their comfort zone-Samuel Boakye- SBL Staff

Having the opportunity to explore arenas outside of Jane and Finch and doing so with their peers was an experience they will never forget!

If you know SBL, you know Toota – our After School Supervisor.  From running our programming after school and playing a lead role in our summer program, to partnering with and supporting many initiatives across Westview, she has played an important role in the presence of SBL at Westview.

We wanted to share with you that this will be her last week as the After School Supervisor, as she is going back to school for Human Resource Management at Seneca College.   We are sad to see her go, but happy for her in this important step that she is taking.

She will still be working with SBL on a part-time basis as our Organizational Administrator, but her regular presence in ALL aspects of our programming and space will be deeply missed.

For all inquiries related to our After School Program, please contact Shanaz Ali (s.ali@successbl.com).  They have been working closely together running the program, so the transition should be a smooth one!

Corrie Calliste is an intelligent African Canadian woman who is a vigorous athlete at Westview Centennial. Corrie is a powerful example of the reality of how student needs are diverse, and not every student is engaged in the same manner; as the needs of students must be intentionally considered when attempting to ensure their success. Corrie recalls that she was a shy and quiet person who was not doing well in school prior to her path crossing SBL’s. The lack of student engagement in the education system seemed to be something that immensely affected Corrie growing up in her middle school phase of the education system. Corrie being part of the summer program had been exposed to a more engaging atmosphere which has proven to be the catalyst to her having an enjoyable and successful high school experience. Currently in grade 10, Corrie recognizes that she has grown tremendously from a girl who was not interested in school to a young woman who takes pride in her educational experience as well as her performance. Corrie plans to study medicine with the intentions of being a medical doctor. SBL recognizes and encourages Corrie’s growth and cheering her on to keep on going! GO Corrie!

A passionate teacher who strived to make a difference in his community, Abshir Hassan was a hard-working and caring individual well known and admired for his work with youth.  As a dedicated student Abshir earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from York’s Faculty of Health and then his Bachelor of Education degree from York’s Faculty of Education. At the time of his death, Abshir was working on his MEd, with plans to pursue his PhD at York.

Abshir taught in several local schools where he was a role model, leader and mentor to his students. He also mentored students as a volunteer in after-school programs with Success Beyond Limits and made a point to let students in the community know the value of education and continuous learning.

The Abshir Hassan Undergraduate Entrance Award for Excellence in Community Service and The Abshir Hassan Graduate Award for Excellence in Community Service are two ways that Abshir’s legacy will continue to inspire students and make positive change in their communities.

Go to the link below to make a contribution that will see young people with a commitment to community and passion for education carry-on the work that was so important to him.

http://www.forabshir.ca/

SBL is now hiring a student support and program assistant. The application deadline is January 4th 2015. See link below!

Student Support and Program Assistant – Jan 4 2015

Click the below link to download our summer report!

SBL Summer Report 2014

A documentary produced by youth for youth, Youth on Democracy is a city-wide collaboration featuring interviews with youth across Toronto who provide eye opening perspectives that makes the ‘apathy’ excuse a lot harder to sell. While shedding light on why young people aren’t heading to the polls in great numbers, it also showcases the inspiring ways young people are and can be involved in their communities and make a difference in our city.