Helping Black Youth Succeed Through Mentorship

Ministry of Children and Youth Services

Ontario Launching New Program for Black Youth

Toronto, ON – July 26, 2017

Ontario is launching a new mentorship program for Black children and youth that will help young people in priority communities to build confidence and develop skills for school and work.

Michael Coteau, Minister of Children and Youth Services and Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism, was at Alexandra Park Community Centre in Toronto today to announce the new program — Together We Can — which will also help Black children and youth build cultural awareness and identity.

The program will support up to 25 locally developed mentorship initiatives for Black children and youth in priority communities, including the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, Ottawa and Windsor. The province will partner with community organizations to design and deliver the program in a way that responds to local needs, which could include activities like job skills training, tutoring or arts-based activities.

Four programs are already in development:

•The African-Canadian Coalition of Community Organizations will deliver mentorship programs in the Regent Park and Alexandra Park community in Toronto
•NIA Centre for the Arts will deliver a mentorship program in the Vaughan area
•Tropicana Community Services will deliver a mentorship program in Scarborough
•Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel, in partnership with the Black Community Advisory Council, will deliver a mentorship program in Peel Region

The province is inviting community organizations to apply for the remaining 21 programs.

Together We Can is part of the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan, a four-year, $47 million commitment to help reduce disparities for more than 10,000 Black children, youth and families in communities across the province.

Eliminating systemic racism and advancing racial equity is part of Ontario’s plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.