Ontario government provides increased support to black students to help them achieve their educational goals

BY PAUL JUNOR

The announcement on March 1^st, 2021 that the provincial government will be increasing support for black students in Ontario is good news for many families.

There will be an allocation of $6 million from 2021-2014 to provide assistance to black students. The news was announced in a provincial news release at news.toronto.ca.

This increased funding will result in the creation of a new student and family initiative in major Ontario cities such as: Ottawa, Hamilton and the Greater Toronto

Area. Black students between the ages of six to twenty-five will have access to community-based and culturally-appropriate strategies which will be utilized by advocates who will play a vital role for families of these black students in the public education system.

Todd Smith, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services states, “Our government is committed to helping black children and youth achieve their full potential. That’s why we are expanding programming under the Black Youth Action Plan (BYAP) and creating community-based initiatives like the Student and Family Advocates. We are working directly with community organizations to ensure these advocates are in the best position to help students achieve their academic, career and life goals by helping them overcome barriers and access more resources with the school system.”

The previous Liberal government under Kathleen Wyne in 2017 initiated the BYAP plan. The Ontario government will invest $60 million dollars in the BYAP for the next three years. The goal of BYAP is geared “Toward eliminating systemic, race-based disparities by increasing opportunities for black children, youth and families across the province.”

This expansion of the BYAP will involve the Student and Family Advocates initiative starting in the spring of 2021. These advocates will interact directly with grass roots based organizations to ensure that black students receive help that is suitable to their specific needs.

The type of support that these students will receive include the following:

• Working with students and families to develop a plan for achieving their goals
• Attending meetings with teachers, guidance counsellors, and school administrators to discuss student progress
• Developing trust-based relationships with participants and helping them to build positive relationships with educators, students, peers, and community members
• Connecting students and families to resources and supports like community programming, learning opportunities, tutoring and mentorship, job placements and scholarships or learning opportunities

In addition, these student advocates will be agents of change to help fight anti-black racism as they help black students become change agents in the education system.

Jamil Jivani, Ontario’s Advocate for Community Opportunities states, “The Student and Family Advocates initiative builds on the great work being done in black communities for years, providing needed resources for those who work directly with students and parents.”