News

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!

The Generation Change Kick off conference was held on Wednesday November 04^th, 2015 at the Carmine Stefano Community Centre. Members of the Success Beyond Limits team Delano Grant, Kaneka Watkins, and Mohamed Ahmed conducted two workshops titled “Present Your Best” for the student leaders from Westview Centennial Secondary School, Downsview Secondary School, and C W Jefferys Collegiate Institute. The workshop focused on youth engaging around the themes Be Prepared, Engagement, and Time Management, in preparing them for the presentations they will be doing for the Middle School students in their community. The Success Beyond Limits team will be hosting a series of “Reaching Back” workshops starting January 2016 for Brookview and Oakdale Middle School in engaging and supporting youth on various topics such as Healthy Relationships and Anti-Bullying. Success Beyond Limits Mentors will conduct these workshops with staff support and Generation Change student leaders. Lots to come in breaking barriers to community Engagement.

The Westview Centennial Secondary School grade ten retreat took place from October 14^th-16^th, 2015. The Generation Change student club hosted the camp in partnership with Success Beyond Limits Education Program at Camp Pine Crest in embracing learning beyond the classroom. This opportunity provided 50 grade ten students and 20 grade eleven and twelve student leaders the chance to explore the outdoors and build healthy relationship amongst each other. The camp allowed youth to step away from the distraction of technology devices and to embrace Self-Exploration in a different environmental setting. A big part of creating leaders is acknowledging one, and grade 11 and 12 student leaders from Generation Change and SBL got the chance to build upon their mentorship role in ensuring the grade ten students felt supported and encouraged in knowing they had support system amongst their peers.

Many individuals who have gone through our graduation model have grown from one position and transitioned into a variety of different roles. Delano has gone through this model and has been a vital person to the success of this program. His past experience as a mentor for 3 consecutive years while attending Westview C.S.S has made him a great candidate for the recreational staff role. As a recreational staff for 2 consecutive summers, he has been working closely with many youth in the mentor position and exemplified positive leadership. Delano has recently graduated and received his degree in social work from Ryerson University. His work in and out of school has been reflective of what we look for in an individual who has the passion to influence positive change in our community. Delano is currently working in a new role with SBL during the school year on a full time basis as one of our core staff supporting the growth and development of our youth. His outgoing personality and strong connection to SBL participants is one of the assets that he brings to the table along with his outlook on ways in which we can tackle community issues. We welcome Delano Grant with open arms as he embarks on a new role with SBL and enters in with a strong head start.

On September 23^rd the Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) opened its doors for the grand opening of internationally renowned, Trinidadian artist Marlon Griffith’s exhibition “Symbols of Endurance.”

The exhibition picks up where the Ring of Fire procession that was held in early August, 2015 left off. Symbols of Endurance was a synaesthetic experience for viewers that traces the project’s trajectory through a thorough staging of original source material, sketches, technical drawings, and maquettes that informed the creation of “Toronto’s procession.”

The exhibition opened with a free public reception on Wednesday, September 23, from 6-9 pm where Marlon Griffith, AGYU and the youth from across the city that were involved in the project gathered together to celebrate the project.

SBL alumni mentors, Destiny Henry, Adulkadir Nur (Moose), Aliyah-Suvannah Burey and Kareem Bennett wrote and performed beautiful pieces to accompany the masks during the procession and the artwork at the exhibit. The poetry and artwork captured the symbols and grandfather teachings of courage, love, humility, honesty, respect, wisdom, and truth.

For anyone that would still like to view this amazing collection, the exhibition will stay open until December 6^th.

This year for the Toronto International Film Festival, SBL youth were given the opportunity to see the city taken over by #TIFF2015! A group of mentors, program participants and staff headed downtown to see the films Keeper & as I Open My Eyes.

The film was extremely engaging and emotionally charged story about the connection between fatherhood & teenage-hood. While the youth expected it to work out in Hollywood fashion, they were left with raw emotions by the end of the film, which led to amazing conversations around their experience with teenage-hood and family.

A smaller group went to see As I Open My Eyes, which sparked great interest in learning more about the conflict happening in Tunisia. In both cases, the experience was powerful and we thank our partners at TIFF for providing this opportunity to the youth each year!

Until next year #TIFF2015!