African-Canadian Christian Network launches Nurturing Promise Harvesting Program in support of Black high school students

BY PAUL JUNOR

It has been over eighteen years since the African-Canadian Christian Network (ACCN) has been at the forefront of providing opportunities for Black, African and Caribbean students to excel and thrive.

ACCN’s signature program is the Independent School Program, which provides scholarship opportunities to students across the Greater Toronto Area to attend some of the top performing private schools. Many students have gone on to post-secondary education after successfully completing their high schools in some of these prestigious and highly academic school environments.

The ACCN announced the launch of the Nurturing Promise, Harvesting Potential (NPHP) program. According to its website: www.accn.on.ca, the program is intended to support Black youth to develop prosocial behaviours, and life skills that build resilience to live healthy, productive lives. Benefits of NPHP are:

• Support to increase academic achievement
• Reduce truancy
• Pursue post-secondary education
• Increase prospects for employment
• Teach financial literacy
• Project support will also strengthen family bonds and improve rapport with teachers

The NPHP program hopes to attract at least 400 high school students from Grades 9-12 who are between the age of 14 -19 who are desirous of doing better in schools. There will be opportunities for students to be involved virtually and in-person after the end of the school day and during school breaks. Each student participant in the program will be able to connect to resources that will assist them in: making healthy lifestyle choices, pursuing productive livelihoods and community leadership, reimagining unarticulated dreams, and building self-esteem. These positive behaviours will help students to develop the: social, emotional, and cognitive intelligence that they need to thrive.

The four components of the NPHP program include the following:

Academic Supports

Volunteer tutors will use various technological platforms to help students after school. It will provide for two intake cycles as the youth advocate develop their skills.

Life Skills Programming

Students will be able to learn skills such as comprehension, critical thinking and global.

Mentorship

Each participant will be paired with an adult mentor who will be from the Family Social Work

Family Supports

A Family Social Worker will be available to all students who need extra practice. This Family Social Worker will ensure that students develop a strong sense of: safety, security, connection and belonging. This will enhance and build their self-esteem.

There are high hopes that Black youth, their families, and their communities will gain:

• Knowledge of effective crime prevention resources, tools, and best practices
• Supports, training, employment support and family support
• Pro-social attitudes among priority youth and families
• Social interactions and relationships (peer, family, community)
• Achievement related to school performance/ completion and employment
• Contribute to reducing incidents of crime, community victimization and recidivism
• Increase a sense of Black youth feeling valued, and being seen as leaders in their communities