Ontario’s new Mentorship Programs help black youth to succeed

Michael Coteau, Minister of Children and Youth Services and Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism had announced  earlier this week the new program -- to help improve the futures of Black community --‘Together We Can’ at Alexandra Park Community Centre in Toronto.

“Together We Can is a great example of an on-the-ground solution to help improve the future of Black children, youth and their families. Partnering with local community organizations to provide mentorship opportunities specifically for Black children and youth will help them build the skills and connect them with the opportunities they need to succeed,” said Coteau.

Ontario will invest $9 million over the next four years, continued the release, for mentorship programs.

The mentorship programs, as part of ‘Together We Can’, are being designed with the help of an external implementation steering committee made up of youth, leaders and experts from the Black community, as well as feedback from community engagement sessions.

More than 25 engagement sessions, the release said, on the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan have been held since May of this year in 13 communities across the province and will continue throughout summer.

Four mentorship programs are already in development and will be delivered by the African-Canadian Coalition of Community Organizations in the Regent Park and Alexandra Park community in Toronto, NIA Centre for the Arts in the Vaughan area, Tropicana Community Services in Scarborough, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel, in partnership with the Black Community Advisory Council in Peel Region.

‘Together We Can’ is part of the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan, with a $47 million commitment for four years and aims to help reduce inequalities for more than 10,000 Black children, youth and families in Ontario, said the release.

Ontario Black Youth Action Plan was announced in February 2017 in alignment with ‘A Better Way Forward: Ontario's 3-Year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan’ with an aim to reduce race-based disparities for Black children and youth.

This four-year, $47 million plan, when fully developed, will support 10,800 Black children, youth and their families annually, in education and employment and decision making.

“Very early in my artistic journey, when I was coming up, there were very limited opportunities (financial or otherwise) for young black artists to make the arts a viable career choice. With the support of MCYS via the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan I'm confident, experiences like mine will be the exception and not the rule. I've made it my purpose to make a difference for the next generation, and so too has the Province of Ontario,” said Dwayne Dixon, Executive Director, Nia Centre for the Arts.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

Images: Michael Coteau/Facebook