2023 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
About Us
Youth School Success Initiative (YSSI) is an ethno-specific collaborative made up of 7 York and Toronto-based agencies working together to empower the educational and holistic success of black youth in York and Toronto regions. YSSI will deliver a wrap-around program that best meets the needs of identified Black youth in the York Region and Toronto District School Boards.
Goal:
To support 100 Black youth from grades 6-8 toward high school preparedness through:
• Academic supports
•Cultural history supports
•Social and emotional self identity supports
•Life Skills Support
York Region Partners:
Funded by:
Our Objectives
- Deliver youth programming that best meets the needs of Black youth in York Region and Toronto District School Boards
- Collaboration consists of 5 York Black Led Agencies and 2 Toronto Agencies
- Increase positive relationships between school and parents
- Support by United Way Greater Toronto
Flexible Wrap Around Support Programs
- Choose from a mixture of supports and services offered throughout the week
- Programs curated around individual needs of students at their respective grade levels
Free Youth Services Provided
Markham African Caribbean Canadian Association:
Math & Literacy
Theme: Afri-centric Tutoring
•Tutoring instruction facilitated by a qualified teacher
•Students will follow a grade-appropriate curriculum.
•Curriculum content will evolve into the study of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and will be Afri-centric based.
Outcomes to overall program:
•Improved academic achievement
•Improved relationships with learning and school
•Increase self-esteem
•Increase understanding of STEAM related topics
•Increased awareness of self embedded in societal structures
Contact:
Website: www.macca1987.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 905 946 9998
ANCHOR:
“Il était une fois…” (Tutoring: French Literacy)
Theme: Afri-centric Tutoring
Our goal is to guide students to overcome the academic challenges in the French language.
The program aims to find your child’s trouble areas in understanding vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. This program will help strengthen subject comprehension, boost confidence, and improve their reading and writing skills.
We will introduce students to African folktales as well, like in many other places, are from a long oral tradition. We will use various tribal, indigenous stories that may be of interest to reflect on the 7 elements of a folktale which are the theme, characters, setting, plot, conflict, point of view, and style. These tales are for teaching, for passing on cultural values, and for making points about life.
Outcomes to overall program:
•Increased academic knowledge in French language
•Increased understanding of black culture in the form of African tales to teach a lesson about right and wrong, which is called a moral.
Contact:
Website: www.anchorcoalition.com
Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association: Mental Health Education and Support
Theme: Mental health and wellness component
NACCAs vision is to focus on African positive identity formation/ Rites of passage as a foundation for mental wellness, and supporting children in developing a positive sense of self.
• Children will have a better understanding of the various influences on their identity formation and will feel more confident in their identity as a person of African descent and can use this foundation to constructively address interactions.
• To provide parents and caregivers tools that will allow them to be more intentional in supporting their child(ren)’s development of a positive sense of self.
Outcomes to overall program:
•Increased understanding of what mental health is
•Increased understanding of what mental wellness is
•Increased understanding of what positive identity is and how it is formed
•Increased understanding of the 7 principles of Kwanza
Contact:
Website: https://www.naccacommunity.ca Email: [email protected]
Phone: 905-781-6222
Parents of Black Children:
Omo Africentric Virtual Campus Tutoring Program
Theme: Social impact using the Arts & Culture
The tutoring initiative offered by POBC is a free high-touch tutoring program for Black students. Students receive tutoring twice weekly in French, Math, and English (Language Arts). Tutoring takes place on the Omo Africentric Campus. 1-on-1 tutoring support provided.
Outcomes to overall program:
•Black student academic achievement increases
•Students gain access to technology to support their education
•Students feel more confident in navigating school work on their own
•Students develop improved study skills that will benefit them during school thereby closing achievement gaps
Contact:
Website: http://www.parentsofblackchildren.org/
Phone: 1-833- PoBCCAN
York Region Alliance of African Canadian Communities:
Sankofa Identity Program
(Exploring Racial and Cultural Identity)
Theme: Cultural knowledge sharing/Identify formation
York Region Alliance of African Canadian Communities / Sankofa Program offers an African-centered curriculum that is focused on activities that provide workshop sessions for students to explore their racial and cultural identify, self-esteem, critical thinking, self-reflection, teamwork, community building.
The program’s framework is based on The Seven Principles ( The Nguzo Saba) The principles are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination); Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility); Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics); Nia (Purpose); Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith).
These principles encourage students to exercise views, values, and practices to help define, develop personal and community excellence.
Outcomes to overall program:
•A more developed sense of Racial and Cultural Identity •Grounded in sense of self – purpose, personal identity, values, personal goals, characteristics
•Community leadership
•And more….
Contact:
Website: http://www.yorkregionaacc.ca/
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 647 425 5700