The summer is an exciting time for SBL. Our 6-week summer program takes place at York University, where students going into grade 9 receive their first high school credit. This year the summer program was hosted in the stunningly beautiful Osgoode Hall Law School. For a full recap you can download our summer report below.
SBL Program Manager, Kaneka Watkins is currently attending the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) in Detroit. The conference brings together NABSE members, superintendents, principals, school board members, education human resource professionals, deans, professors, education department heads, administrative/educational support staff, teachers, parents, curriculum specialists and students for various education workshops and tours of schools in Detroit. Below are some pictures of the conference.
See the agenda here:
http://www.cvent.com/events/national-alliance-of-black-school-educators-41st-annual-conference/agenda-c2f6da49609a447b8ec38750ac5b05c3.aspx
York University graduate student and SBL teacher Sam Tecle has been honoured with the North York Mirror’s Urban Hero Award, for his notable contribution to education and for being a role model for youth living in the Jane and Finch community.
“I am blessed, honoured and humbled by this award. The recognition serves as a validation of my work and motivation to continue on,” says Tecle who is a doctoral candidate in sociology, in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.
“For me, it was always an idea that where I lived and the community I was part of, that giving back was important. And for me, that was always through education,” Tecle told The Mirror, upon receiving the award.
“I am thrilled that Sam is a recipient of this respected award, which honours grassroots level heroes for their efforts, sacrifices and contributions, having positive impact on our communities,” says York Faculty of Education Professor Carl James, who is Tecle’s PhD supervisor and nominator for the award. “Sam is an example of the many students doing exemplary work through involvement in neighbourhood community initiatives at York University.”
This summer, Tecle taught Grade 9 students from the Jane and Finch community attending a six-week program, Success Beyond Limits. The program is a joint initiative of York University and Jays Care Foundation, in partnership with the Toronto District School Board. Sponsored by the Faculty of Education, the program was conducted in technology enhanced classrooms of Osgoode Hall Law School.
The Sudanese-born immigrant of Eritrean descent has been a youth facilitator, focusing on educational attainment, sex education, as well as personal and career development with many community organizations across the Greater Toronto Area. Tecle was among the 16 recipients, in the categories of arts and culture, health and science, education, sports, environment, business and community, who received their awards at a ceremony, Nov. 5.
http://yfile.news.yorku.ca/2013/11/12/york-university-student-is-celebrated-as-an-urban-hero/
As Hip Hop further entrenches itself in the academy, its use in the classroom is becoming more prevalent. SBL’s Academic and Social Coordinator, Tesfai Mengesha has been a part of the process of developing a Hip Hop Curriculum, in the role of a writer. The Hip Hop Curriculum has been developed through a partnership with the Toronto District School Board, Educational Attainment West, and the Toronto Hip Hop community.
On November 4, 2013 members of the project presented elements of the curriculum to an eager group of York University teacher candidates. The curriculum provides students with the opportunity to bring their lived experiences into the classroom to make the lessons meaningful through their analysis of various media forms. The lessons explore and critically examined schools, communities, economic structures, homophobia, race, class and gender norms.
The SBL growth model envisions students going from mentee to volunteer to mentor. For Japjit Singh his journey had a gap. In the summer of 2009, Japjit Singh was a mentee in our summer program. As the school year came around, he retreated away from many of the extra curricular activities Westview had to offer including the SBL after-school program. It wasn’t until this past summer Japjit found himself searching for a co-op placement.
Although SBL had already hired all the mentors and the volunteer positions were full, SBL program manager, Kaneka Watkins decided to interview him. Impressed by his maturity and sense of responsibility during the interview, Japjit became the Volunteer Coordinator – tasked with training and overseeing all volunteer duties for the summer program, a position previously designated for senior mentors.
Prior to the summer Japjit described himself as reclusive and reserved. “I didn’t think I’d like working with kids. I used to think working alone was the best option. Now I actually welcome an environment with other people. I didn’t consider myself an interpersonal type of person. Working with SBL I was able to express myself in words and speech rather than being a shy and an introverted person.” He goes on to say “I didn’t realize how much I loved working with kids, it is a role I can help others and be myself.”
Japjit has now transitioned from co-op student/volunteer during this past summer into the role of mentor. Going into his final year of high school, Japit is most looking forward to “advancing within the SBL organization, taking on more responsibility and continuing to grow.”
Describe your journey with SBL?
It started out in middle school when they came to Oakdale and told us about the program, I was like, “whoa something to do as a student for the summer.” Being at Westview, I lost touch with the program at first. Then my whole grade 11 year, I wasn’t the best student and had issues/problems. SBL surrounded me with people that helped to motivate me. I would of probably been at home being depressed watching movies and not talking to anyone. Once I got support, I began volunteering. Leading up to the summer, all of the mentor positions were filled, but based on what I was doing with the school year program, there was a way to get involved as Volunteer Coordinator.
Describe experience during the summer?
Amazing, I didn’t realize how much I love working with kids, a role where I can help others and be yourself. Being in a job where you rely less on following direct orders and straight following the cookie cutter directions, but get to make decisions, apply your own creativity, and think on your feet was great.
Describe your most memorable moment during the summer?
Waking up every single day and being to say good morning with a smile on my face. Having a reason to smile every morning. I’m not always the most visibly happiest person, but working with SBL made me really happy.
Growth as a person?
I didn’t think I’d like working with kids. I used to think working alone is the best option. I now actually welcome an environment with other people – more minds are better.
I didn’t consider myself an interpersonal type of person. Working with SBL, I was able to express myself in words and speech rather than being shy and introverted person.
Job Description
Program Overview: The Success Beyond Limits Education Program is a non-profit organization based in the Jane-Finch community. Success Beyond Limits works around the calendar delivering both a school year program at Westview Centennial Secondary School and a summer program at York University for students from Brookview Middle School and Oakdale Park School. We incorporate credits, mentorship, employment, nutrition, recreation, access to resources, exposure to new experiences, collaboration, and advocacy into our support of students.
The position of YOW reports to: Executive Director and works in coordination with the entire staff team.
Salary: Commensurate with experience.
Hours: Full-time
Contract: November 2013 to June 2014
Position Summary: This position provides a range of outreach services to individuals, families and groups to enhance or maintain youth functioning in the community. This position carries responsibility for prevention, early intervention, program development and community outreach services with youth and families under the auspices of the provincial Youth Outreach Worker Program.
Click below link for full posting details
SBL Mentor, Princess organized a surprise birthday celebration for fellow Mentor Shukri. Here are some pictures of the SBL family celebrating.
We catch a ride to the city’s biggest community hip-hop fest with a group of youngsters and hear about suburban alienation blues.
Last Sunday afternoon, under grey skies, seagulls swooped overhead while a couple sat in a rusted Honda Civic in the Jane Finch Mall parking lot and ate McDonald’s. Suddenly, an enormous luxury coach bus pulled up alongside a blue dumpster. The bus—chartered by Toronto urban community-building organization Manifesto, in cooperation with city youth-outreach workers—was there to offer young people in priority neighbourhoods a lift to and from the main stage of the Manifesto Festival celebrations downtown. A handful of teenagers trickled in, a few wearing a practiced façade of coolness. The veneer quickly dissolved, though, once they settled in for the long ride and started talking about their ’hood.
The Manifesto Festival, now in its seventh year, began as a grassroots celebration of urban culture. It brings in artists from across the GTA and North America to showcase breakdancing, live graffiti, and hip-hop performance. It was started as a response to growing negativity towards hip-hop, particularly in the wake of 2005’s “year of the gun.” (Around that time, there was an increase in government funding for programs looking to quell incidents of gun violence.)Though the positive vibes of the festival have grown along with its popularity—around 50,000 people came out this year—the spectre of violence is still a real concern for the communities it aims to serve.
The free buses (sponsored by Yahoo!) are difficult to fill, due to “turf wars, both at Jane-Finch and in Scarborough,” said Jade Lee Hoy, one of Manifesto’s original team members. (In fact, no one boarded at the second stop, St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club.) “People won’t come on if [certain] other people come on, and it depends where you’re picking people up.” Additionally, Hoy said, “[This neighbourhood has] lost two, maybe three young people in the past couple of months due to gun violence in the area. They’re also dealing with [that] trauma.
“For me, it’s just about getting people outside of their neighbourhood,” she added, referring to the “neutral zone” of Yonge-Dundas Square. “Some of them have never even seen the CN Tower. People don’t know what’s in their own city. Some of the acts at the festival are from Jane and Finch [but the kids] don’t know that these rappers and performers are from their neighbourhood.”
Hoy told the teens when the buses would be departing the square in the evening, and gave them advice on what to do at the fest. “Feel free to ask artists questions. They will answer you; they’re very friendly, and I think you guys can learn a lot from your community. Remember that you’re a part of [it] and we really want you to not be afraid to go all in.”
Matthew Alay sat gazing out the window as we raced past strip malls and payday loan shops. The soft-spoken 19-year-old began working as a carpenter a month ago. “I plan on saving and then moving out of Toronto. I’ve been in Toronto my whole life,” he said, citing the shifting social climate as his motivation. “People change. A lot of people get aggressive over nothing. That leads them to gun violence and all that type of bullshit. Personally, I’m trying to get away from that because I grew up watching it. You can only take so much.”
By heading into the heart of downtown, 20-year-old Winston Luc brought a positive view of his home turf to the party. He’s sick of reporters asking about misconceptions of the neighbourhood, saying, “The questions to be asking are: What’s beautiful about Jane and Finch? What do we have that other communities don’t? I feel that we are the heart of diversity. I know that Toronto is diverse, but it gets more colourful when you set foot inside Jane and Finch. You see every race, every religion, every culture, and every ethnicity. The guns and stuff is only a small portion.”
Sariena Luy nodded in agreement. The slight, 14-year-old hip-hop dancer and aspiring photographer was excited for the breakdancing at the festival—this was her first time attending the event. “At Jane and Finch, there are a lot of different opportunities. I’ve been involved with performing, and there are so many great dancers, singers…everything.” Luc leaned over to show me a version of a short music video on his phone. Though it was edited and choreographed by 13-year-olds from the neighbourhood, the skill level was MTV-calibre.
As they dismounted the bus almost two hours after leaving the ’burbs, the bass from the main stage rattled car windows nearby. The group was all grins as they stepped out on the street. “We all go through the same struggle,” said Luc. “But we have a big unity, when we get together there’s always a good vibe. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
http://www.thegridto.com/city/local-news/festival-express/
The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for SBL. It’s a time to re-connect with the incoming grade 9s and transition back into our youth space at Westview. This year we’re in a bigger space, which presents us with the opportunity to re-design it. With minimal resources but a lot of love and creativity among the SBL family, together we have begun re-creating our youth space. Here are some pictures:
