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.

SBL participant and Westview student Mohamed Ibrahim recently sat down with Chris Penrose to talk about his experiences as a youth member on the TIFF Next Wave committee. Here’s what he had to say:

How did you get involved with TIFF?

Well, Tesfai (from Success Beyond Limits) announced information about TIFF Next Wave, and it sounded really interesting to me. I haven’t had very much exposure to films or the film industry, so I thought this might be a great opportunity to venture into this new world.

What is your role?

As a member of the TIFF Next Wave Committee, we do so many different things! It is really difficult to describe it briefly. With the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival, TIFF seeks to expand its reach to a younger audience and program films they’d enjoy! That is where we (The TIFF Next Wave Committee) come in! We are a group that comes with ideas to make programming for youth happen at TIFF – including the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival coming up February 13 to 15!

Who are you working with and what are you working on?

I work with other teenagers between the ages of 14-18 primarily.  We work with a lot of TIFF staff including programmers and Communications, Marketing and Guest services.  We work together and discuss films and program ideas at TIFF that would be of interest to our peers, the next generation of film lovers.

To someone who doesn’t know a lot about TIFF, how would you describe it?

TIFF Bell Lightbox is not your average movie theatre. The Toronto International Film Festival is not just a once in a year occasion. As a year-round organization, TIFF invests itself in connecting people to amazing film experiences of all kinds! This includes a wide range of films that people in North America would not get to usually see.

Why do you think youth from different part of the city should be involved in TIFF?

Honestly, in my opinion, TIFF Bell Lightbox is not like any other movie theatre in the city. They expose movie lovers to different types of films from all over the world- it’s a new movie going experience! You are exposed to great films from other countries and that brings along a new cultural understanding though film. It will have an impact on a person’s view point of the world and that is something that youth rarely ever get.

How do you see this experience connecting to your future goals?

I have learned a lot from just being a part of TIFF Next Wave these past couple of months and it has allowed me to get a better understanding on how to help my own community. The outreach methods and the youth committee are possibly some aspects that I would like to create within my community to help the adults better understand youth and to learn what kids need to create a safer environment for everyone.

What are some TIFF related events that we should look out for in the next year?

Stay tuned for our partnership with Buffer Fest this fall! Also, a TIFF Next Wave Film Festival Sneak Peek in December and of course, our TIFF Next Wave Film Festival in February! To find out more, visit tiff.net/nextwave.

And like us on Facebook! TIFF Next Wave! ~

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As the time approaches for students to fill out post-secondary applications, the implications of such a monumental task heavily impacts their prospective careers. With the aim of easing some of the anxiety that comes with making such a difficult decision, SBL is bringing in young professionals from a myriad of fields providing youth with an opportunity to ask questions and gain critical insight. Here’s a recap of Career Day put together by a very talented 16 year old, Sariena.

Here’s a recap of SBL Summer 2014, with insights and perspectives from mentors and mentees.