[Nicole]

I think for me, taking more time for some critical reflection, especially reflecting on what I have learned so far in this course and how I can incorporate that in my work as well as taking the time to really sit and reflect and do the research to understand what our programs are currently missing and how we can improve them to better meet the needs of Black youth.

[Noor]

Watching all the modules was a very eye opening experience for myself. As I was learning I was also saddened by hearing and understanding I have such a long way to go when it comes to educating myself and my peers. Understand how important this work is in the clients we may serve as well. Knowing the history of Black individuals is so crucial but, it is also important to understand the impacts it has on Black people today and how we can help support and end this history. It is up to us to take initiatives like this certification to educate ourselves educate those around us.

[Miranda]

For me, I plan to engage personally in more critical reflection, as well as encouraging others in my organization to do so. I think there is a lot of implicit bias in the way our organization does things and by having truthful conversations and reflection on biases, we can start the process of creating an action-oriented plan to better serve Black youth.

[Kristan]

I agree with others that a one size fits all approach isn’t going to work. We need to use an individualized approach in our work and be careful with our assumptions and prejudices. Identify and acknowledge systemic biases and privilege and disrupt it.

[Nicole]

I think the point made in the lecture about cognitive dissonance plays heavily into why anti-black racism is still an issue-Canadians have a very strong self (and international) perception of being peaceful, tolerant and progressive-how could we be anti-black racists? Add on the layer of comparison to racism in the US and it can be very hard for Canadians to see themselves as actually supporting the same ideologies and harmful outcomes.

[Marie-Eve]

Research is an extremely important tool in identifying, understanding, and addressing the myriad of inequities and social injustices Black youth are facing in Ontario and across Canada. I also agree that drawing connections between these statistics is important to understand the various intersections of how these barriers, inequities, and social justice issues permeate every stage of the child’s life into adulthood. But most of all, I think the most important part of research is for organizations to use this information to identify the various ways they may contribute to these issues (even though they’re not explicitly mentioned in the data). For example, as a former educator who now works for an artistic organization that offers youth programming, I have to look at this data and understand how my organization contributes to these barriers and how I can utilize this data to inform a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive experience for Black youth. For example, by understanding the various needs in Black communities (both in urban and rural settings), we can address the barriers that may prevent accessibility to our programs (whether it be transportation, funds, digital accessibility, creating a safe place that can foster a sense of belonging, etc.) Also, drawing on the content of the Spoken Word in Module 1, we can ensure our programming represents and celebrates Black stories authentically.

[Marie-Eve]

As many others on this thread, I also feel that Canadians’ lack of both awareness and/or accountability is one of the root causes of Anti-Black racism in Ontario (and across Canada). As per the lecture given by Dr. Andrea A. Davis, there is a challenge for many Canadians to face that the illusion of a multicultural democratic nation they’ve been fed since they were a child is actually a system that perpetuates racism and inequalities.

I also think many Canadians refuse to review their understanding of allyship. I personally found the definitions of white
saviors, white apologists, white allies, and white folks in solidarity with anti-racism extremely insightful. It’s normal that many individuals approach allyship from the lens of their own experiences, but a willingness to understand what allyship looks, sounds, and feels like from the perspective of Black youth is a necessary shift to dismantle White supremacy.

Lastly, the deafening silence from many Canadians is definitely a contributing factor to Anti-Black racism in Ontario. The following statement struck a chord with me: “White people
committed to racial justice need to be willing to give up the very thing that whiteness has promised them, connection
and kinship, whether to white people or to Black, Indigenous, and racially-oppressed populations.” I am able to recognize and take accountability for instances where I chose silence for the sake of connection and kinship in the past. This is simply unacceptable moving forward – for myself and all Canadian citizens.

[Natalie]

Realize that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to all youth, won’t likely meet the needs of Black youth. We need to plan, resource, take time to ask Black youth what will work for them.

[Marie-Eve]

I could not agree with this statement more! Although there has been progress on this front, both from educators across the province and from organizations providing educational material or PD on this topic, I think it’s important to recognize that the teaching of Anti-Black History continues to remain a choice for teachers (especially those who rely on the fact that there are not specific requirements in our current curriculum that mandate this topic, as opposed to the experience and history of Indigenous people of Canada for example). This is not to diminish the EXCELLENT work being done by many educators to bring forth this topic in all strands/units of their course, but until our curriculum is reformed to mandate the teaching of Anti-Black History in Canada and explore themes rather than timelines, the willingness to educate ourselves and the accountability to integrate this extremely important topic in our classrooms will remain and individual practice.

[Cecilia]

We’re just starting to build one now. It’s been hard because programs have changed so much over the years (new titles, different times of years, put on hold for a time and then restarted, etc.). We’ve got a lot of organizing to do before we can start to think about building out a database. But the suggestions in this thread are super helpful for when we get to that point.

[Marie-Eve]

As someone who works for a national artistic organization that also serves the education sector, I want to ensure that our programming is not only selected for Black youth, but rather have Black youth be part of the selection process. I recently attended an AGM conference for an association we support, and our guest speaker, Umair
Jaffar (COO, Small World Music) reminded us of the importance of forming groups that include individuals from the equity-seeking communities we wish to serve, interact with, include, etc. The application of this principle is often forgotten when it comes to youth programming. We often form diverse groups composed of adults to work on these projects, but youth are not always included. I want to create more opportunities for Black youth to be immersed and feel a sense of ownership when it comes to developing youth, family, and educational programming in our organization.

[Cecilia]

This is a great resource. Really helped me wrap my head around what counts as process evaluation. Thanks for creating such a helpful, clear glossary!

[Cecilia]

For us, we run both internal and external programs and we have a lot of each. Our research team is only three people (one of which is part-time), so it can be hard to get time with them because they’re working not only on evaluating our programs individually but also putting together reports for our board and funders, as well as handling grant applications for new streams of funding. So sometimes, an evaluation process can’t take place exactly when you want it to.

[Cecilia]

We really like to include co-design with the youth we work with at every opportunity. From the planning phase to the running of the program to evaluation (when possible), and even revamping programs once a cohort has completed them. This allows the youth voice to be present throughout the process.

[Cecilia]

I find that using language that meets youth at their level is a really important way of ensuring informed consent because it allows them (and their signatory/guardian if need be) to have the same understanding of what is being asked of them as the evaluator asking them to participate.

[Kate]

Don’t be afraid to bring what I’ve earned up in my every day conversations and correct people when it feels appropriate.

[Kate]

I will be mindful of the language I use and ensure I am using a trauma informed approach to facilitating.

[Cameo]

Evaluation is like a first impression. It seems daunting to make a positive and lasting representation of your person, however, the information one garners from a first impression isn’t always indicative of the others lived experiences and general personhood.

[Jewelle]

I can work to actively incorporate feedback from black youth in the work that I do. The organization already centres black youth, but they can continue to ensure staff take trainings that are specifically relevant to black youth.

[Alejandra]

I will listen more and create a safe space for all youth to open up and share their experiences; also identify and acknowledge systemic biases and privilege when necessary as well as microaggressions or preconceptions that can come up in order to correct them or manage them with an Anti-racism policy approach.

[Alejandra]

I believe that Anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario because most people does not identify the issue. A high percentage of the population does not believe that racism hasn’t been overcome .

[Virginia]

Ensuring that we are able to provide an inclusive, safe and welcoming environment for youth to express their selves freely and to feel respected while expressing their culture and preferences. Fostering engaging conversations that allow the youth to open up and feel comfortable about expressing any concerns, so they feel included and welcomed.

[Marianne]

I can try my best to listen without assumption and prejudice, making sure I don’t categorize or pick cultural identity as the “loudest” identity in their intersectionality. And then within my organization, ensure that I carry those voices loud and clear and address the needs they express (if possible). Because I’m learning too that lwhile listening is valuable and important, the action that comes after is the greatest proof of actually being heard. And that is a crucial step.

[Annie]

I haven’t read the book and can’t find the workbook of “White Supremacy and Me”, although it does sound interesting. I’ve noticed there’s a young readers edition. Have you read it? Wondering if the content is within reach for grades 7-12 students.

[Kathleen]

I’d wait until grade 9 or 10 to introduce it. There are some very complex topics and it prompts some very serious self reflection. I know criticisms (not surprisingly) have been a sense of blame it places on white people in general. I’m sure there are specific activities and explanations you could take from the book for students that age, but probably not the whole book.

[Mehreen]

Firstly, involving Black youth in the assessment and planning stages of initiatives and service delivery is vitally important. Only by engaging them from the initial stages of planning initiatives that are proactively inclusive will programs be successful in being respectfully diverse and inclusive. Creating spaces where black youth feel welcome to share their ideas without criticism is important in order to hear their voice.

[Cameo]

What are good practices for making sure that youth can make an informed decision about participating in an evaluation of a youth program?

• Highlight that their participation is optional, that they get to decide how to participate, and that participation can be withdrawn at any time without penalty
• Clearly describe what youth can expect when they participate and give them options on how they can participate in a way that works best for them
• Let youth know how you plan to use the information they provide. Why are you doing this evaluation? They should know!
• Answer questions. Be transparent, honest, and genuine.

Any challenges respecting ethical principles such as confidentiality and anonymity in evaluations that include youth?

• I work with small groups (and in a community where a lot of people know each other and, if they don’t, they probably have a mutual or two). It’s hard to guarantee anonymity even when responses are submitted anonymously and are not directly attributed to any person.
• Obtaining parental consent for youth who wish to participate is sometimes a challenge for the communities I work with. It’s a respectful requirement, but also a barrier for many youth

[Cameo]

Figure 11 shows many challenges doing evaluation that grassroots and mainstream organizations run into. In this graph you can see that 67% of respondents of grassroots orgs cited limited staff time as a challenge and 35% reported limited data collecting capacity. I relate to these both. I have a lot of facets to my job that I must manage and incorporating evaluation throughout the program is an additional time dedication that is difficult to balance. It’s important and my team does commit to completing ongoing reviews, however, the capacity struggle is real.

A possible solution to this could be having a set time block to review participant feedback and discuss ways to incorporate their suggestions. This “focus time” could be done collectively as a team, or individually before discussing together, depending on conflicting schedules and availability. Another strategy that comes to mind is breaking down large tasks relating to program evaluation and setting deadlines for yourself and your team to meet your goals. One more idea could be to invite additional stakeholders into the evaluation process– with more folks helping, the workload can be spread across more hands to lighten everyone’s load and incorporate a diverse array of perspectives into your evaluation.

[Chiara]

Finally, I wonder about the practice of active and intentional listening for stories other than our own (e.g., the NPR podcast Code Switch) and its role in co-creating language:

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/

[Annie]

That’s a good idea. I often use the phone as a means of communication with parents or racialized students, but I never thought of describing myself. Perhaps an ignorant part of me thought the child might have talked to the parents about me or they may have recognized my “french canadian white accent”. However, I do try to meet in person or through virtual meetings. That way, parents can get a better sense of my tone and body language and be able to come to their on conclusion on first impressions of what kind of safe “ally” I may be. From my experience, communicating through email, especially with new immigrant families, is not the best way to build a long lasting trusting collaborative relationship.