News

We take the time to share the work we do, but we don’t always tell the story behind WHO does this amazing work. Each month we will touch on a different staff, youth, partner that makes all this possible.  Meet Tesfai Mengesha – educator, community worker and graduate student.  Tesfai’s role currently is Academic and Social Co-ordinator, where he makes use of his deep passion for issues surrounding equity and education while connecting youth to opportunities to support their success.
Tesfai is currently completing his Masters of Education at York University where he is examining how curriculums and classrooms can be more inclusive, critical and relevant to today’s students. In partnership with TDSB Equity and Inclusive Schools Department, Tesfai was part of a collective of writers who authored Rhymes to Re-education (2014), which is a book providing teachers with units, lessons and best practices that span the breadth of Ontario’s K-12 curriculum.  Growing up, studying and now working in the Jane and Finch community, Tesfai has deep intimate knowledge of the barriers and challenges faced in Toronto’s educational system bringing a wealth of knowledge of the ways equity can be met despite these challenges.  #Growingtogether – #ourstories #ourstrengths

It’s that time of year that summer site lead and teaching applications for the SBL Summer Program are available. Applications are due Friday, April 29 via email. See the links below for applications.

Site Lead Success Beyond Limits 2016

Application for Teaching – Exploring Family Studies 2016

At the 2015 Kitty Lundy Memorial Lecture, our SBL alumni performed pieces inspired by the book titled Elizabeth & Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock, which takes as its starting point the iconic civil rights era news photograph depicting teenagers Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan. Our youth had the chance to engage with the book and create the spoken word pieces which you can check out below.

Performances by: Suvannah, Abdulkadir “Moose” Nur, Kareem Bennett, and DC Williams

Come to @SuccessBL Youth Space @WestviewCentSS for the Premier’s Council on Youth Opportunities “Listening Tour” Feb. 12th at 3:30PM

Register today https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/pcyo-listening-tour-west-gta-tickets-19433874241

In 2013, Toota Hassanien came across a Success Beyond Limits info booth at York University and inquired about volunteer opportunities within the organization.  In those first few months as a volunteer, she tutored students, assisted with our after school program, and contributed to strengthening our evaluation efforts.  As summer approached – our most intense time for programming – she took on a seasonal role and made her mark as a part of the SBL team.  With the start of the school year she was successful in obtaining the role of After School Supervisor.

As all of our mentors, students, parents, partners, board members and team members are well aware, her contributions to the growth and impact of Success Beyond Limits have always been at a high level, and have been critical in so many of the positive steps we have taken.

Building on her York U degree in psychology, Toota went back to school in 2015 to complete a Human Resources certificate at Seneca.  This focus on expanding her knowledge and skills was applied directly to SBL where she engaged in building critical structures within the organization.  Her passion for evaluation and building a strong and resilient organization led to the formation of the role of Organizational Assistant, which she has operated in for the past year.

These accomplishments and contributions have been vital to SBL, but they are not what Toota has been most known and loved for.  She is always present and prepared to drop anything for someone that needs to talk and to be heard.  She has brought a positive presence into our space that reflects the welcoming and supportive place SBL strives to provide in the community.  Her heart is always dialed in to help and to be of assistance wherever needed.

As Toota takes these steps forward in her own professional growth, she will remain a part of the SBL family.  SBL will not be the same without Toota, but it is better because she has been a part of it.

For the past three months, Success Beyond Limits staff Mohamed Ahmed, Tesfai Mengesha and Shanaz Ali who are also certified teachers participated in a 3-day module called Helping Readers Who Really Struggle, a PLC training session. This grassroots initiative aims to help secondary Westview students that are struggling with reading and to provide effective strategies to support students that are not reading at their appropriate grade level. The strategies and activities that have been taught to the SBL staff members will be utilized in the SBL after-school program. More specifically during the daily homework club program in order to help struggling readers build the fundamental reading skills needed to achieve academic success. This is one of our many ways of getting involved with Westview’s culture by collaborating with other teachers in the building who do great work in supporting the students who need it most.

Long lasting, sustained and deep-rooted relationships are a cornerstone for much of the work we do. Our model of youth development and support from Middle School all throughout High School and now even to post-secondary means that we are there for the most formidable and impressionable years of the young people we support. This stems from our hyper local, system focus which not only allows us to positively impact young peoples lives in a community we are intimately familiar with, but also to continually push the envelope of these systems while helping to direct policy – impacting youth on a wider scale. None of this would be possible at the deep level, far reaching impact that we have without forming very important relationships. There is no relationship more important than those with our mentors and mentees. These relationships are important because when we as staff focus on providing the infrastructure to keep our youth space and community organization viable and lasting, our mentors form that integral and important bridge to the mentees. And in turn, we as staff support past mentors into staff and board roles. The model is holistic and renewing. And that is precisely why the model is so effective.

Many of these relationships initially start in grade 8 and continue on through their high school journey. Although the work we do is focused at the elementary and secondary level, those important relationships continue on into adulthood.

As our mentors graduate high school and go on to post-secondary, join apprenticeship programs or enter the workforce, many stay connected by tutoring in our after-school program, facilitating programming, while some become SBL staff and board members.

On December 21, 2015 staff and mentor alumni got together for competitive games of bowling and dinner.  The evening was yet another way of sharing stories, checking in, staying connected, celebrating their successes, while creating new memories. It was an evening filled with smiles, laughter and nostalgic moments. Most importantly, the impetus for the mentor alumni dinner came from the alumni mentors themselves, reminding – both staff and mentor alumni – of the many important reasons we do the work that we do.

On November 24^th, PEACH, Success Beyond Limits, The Spot and community partners celebrated the Launch of the 40 asset model. The evening consisted of great learning around the 40 Developmental Assets® Model, the power of building these assets in youth and how everyone plays a role in supporting

Developed by The Search Institute, the 40 Asset Model® is a set of 40 qualities, skills and experiences that support young people as they grow-up into thriving adults. At the heart of this framework is the importance of community and developmental relationships as foundational pillars in supporting young people during their most critical period of development

We are proud to be a partner in this movement on BUILDING ASSETS in the Jane Finch community and look forward to the impact this framework will have on redefining how youth are viewed!