Member Marc
MemberForum Replies Created
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Mindfulness-Based Wellbeing for Black Women is a 5-week virtual mindfulness program for young Black women in their 20s, facilitated by Planned Parenthood Toronto, Elizabeth Fry Toronto, and The Centre for Mindfulness Studies. The program will take place on Tuesdays, June 1 to 29, from 3-5pm. To sign up, email MindfulnessForYoungBlackWomen@gmail.com.
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Elizabeth, do you think you will continue to offer online engagement opportunities, using Google Meet or Zoom, for example, even after we begin to open up and return to in-person programming? It may be too soon to begin imagining, but I’m wondering if there are youth programs that may plan to continue using these online tools to facilitate access/inclusion.
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YouthREX recently participated in an online event hosted by the National Youth Council of Ireland, “Rethinking Impact: Legacy and Evaluation in a Global Youth Work Context”, during which we discussed how we can broaden definitions of ‘evaluation’ and move beyond ‘impact’ to thinking about ‘legacy’. You can learn the key takeaways and watch a recording of the presentations. 🙂
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Hi Erin! You’re right; so many of the resources that we’ve curated on the Knowledge Hub are specific to youth navigating transitions or youth aging out of care.
I know that others on this platform, including my colleague @katarina, may have ideas for sources or resources that speak to your search topic, but I can share one here: “They Always Come, and Never Say Goodbye:” Healthy Closure in Mentoring. Although this conversation was from a webinar series specific to mentoring, some of the considerations may apply. In addition to a recording of the webinar, there is also a resource packet. The Ontario Mentoring Coalition has an online toolkit on effective mentoring for youth facing barriers, and this includes resources on closure, too.
I hope this is a helpful start, and that others will share, too. 🙂
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So glad that you found the resources helpful, Erin!
I was not able to find much else, although I did discover that a resource by MENTOR, Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring, seems to be the source of the Ontario Mentoring Coalition benchmarks (see Standard 6: Closure on p. 70), and might provide some additional context. 😊
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Thanks Katarina! I’ll take a look at that section =)
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This is great! I’ll be sure to take a look at this resource, Kathe. Just glancing at the Ontario Mentoring Coalition link seems more along the lines of what I’ve been looking for.
Thanks so much =)-
Oh, great! 😄
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Hi folks!
I’m trying to prepare for this fall when i’ll have a youth participant age-out of a community space I facilitate for the first time. I’ve been looking for resources or any best practices on how to navigate this but everything i’m finding seems to either address social factors that enhance youth wellbeing as they navigate new life-stages in general, or speak specifically to youth who are aging out of foster or housing care.Any resources you know of or insights from experiences navigating this sort of thing are appreciated!
cheers, Erin (they/them)
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Brighter Days: An Indigenous Wellness Program by Kids Help Phone was developed by Indigenous experts to empower First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth with skills, tools and resources to support their well-being. The program is offered to any group of Indigenous youth from eight to 29 years old in both audio and video format.
You can find out more about the program here.
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Laidlaw Foundation is granting up to $30,000 to Indigenous youth-led groups that are based in remote and urban territories spanning Ontario. Through the Indigenous Youth & Community Futures Fund (IYCFF), the Foundation invests in opportunities for Indigenous youth to connect with their land, languages and cultures, and strengthen and deepen their relationships within and across Indigenous communities.
Application Deadline: May 20, 2021.
To learn more, click here or email abernard@laidlawfdn.org.
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I was wondering if anyone has seen resources for critical self-reflection. Based on one of the presentations in this certificate, I’ve been dedicating an hour each week to reflecting on my work with Black youth, mostly through journaling about what happened this week, what I should have done differently, etc – but I’m wondering if anyone has seen maybe a workbook that I could also integrate into that time. Thanks!
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anti Black racism will remain a problem until it’s acknowledged as a problem.
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Yes simply put. If no one believes theres a problem to begin with then they will see no need to change their ways or the world around them.
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Great playlist! Vibes all day. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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here is a lot of denial and not enough accountability. As mentioned in the lectures, often the data is collected and nothing is done about it. Or it was simply done for personal gain, like not wanting to “appear” racists, or “appear” out of touch. The fake allyship is really getting out of hand because again, it goes unchecked. Actions speak louder than words. Lets put the data to use, lets see the needs and then go out there and genuinely deal with. More people need to “do it for the love and not do it for the likes.”
– Updates these textbooks; they create false impressions and serious delusions.
– Join more levels of government, make the laws and have accountability. “Want something done right, do it yourself!”
– create safe spaces to share struggles and challenges, without feeling judged or fear of retaliation. We can not fix what we do not know. At the same time, when people do finally open up, we have to actually do something about it or its in vain. You run the risk of them never opening up again. I think a lot of people just suffer in silence, feeling like their is no point in sharing. We must end that cycle. Its not that we are complacent, but we are just tired.
I’m working as a mentor at UofT and I told them whatever they share with me I will do my very best to bring it the attention of faculty (anonymously) but also see how we can address it in the institution as a whole; to help prevent it from happening to them or any other student again. Long lasting change is the goal; systemic, institutional. Too often people use throw funds at the issue and think the job is done. We need accountability and sustainability!
My thoughts went all over near the end lol but I am happy to be learning and sharing regardless. Great comments from everyone. Stay safe and keep shining! Thank you YouthRex
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You made such great points. From your opinion I really took in your third point on creating these safe spaces for black people to express themselves and open up more, but to also follow that up with action or it would have all been for nothing. It just seems like sometimes we allow youth and their families to open up but then not even a little bit of change happens and so we put them through that pain of having to retell their stories for nothing to come from it.
And YES! We need to “do it for the love and not do ti for the likes” 👍🏾
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Great replies so far. A few notes to add.
1. More Afrocentric training/programs in general, is beneficial and necessary; in addition to ABR training. Know your past (good and bad) and use it to shape your future. I took the “Rights of Passage” program with woodgreen in high school and wish those same experiences (ex traveling to Ghana) and learning about ones “roots” for every black person. We have to understand our history and develop PRIDE!
1b. I believe Afrocentric training can and should start at younger ages (elementary school has history lessons, our history should be a part of this). Yes, high school is a great start but we can all agree, youth are recognizing ABR earlier and earlier. If they can recognize ABR, they can also be taught pro-black tips and black pride etc.
1c Regarding the ABR, we even see little kids at protests with ABR signs. We shouldn’t assume they aren’t ready; instead engage in more open dialogue and even seek consent to discuss certain topics. I know it can be seen as “taking away their innocence” but I believe if framed properly, by professionals it can be done safely.
2. I often see people say “to accomplish these things we must ‘work with’ all levels of the government to implement it. While I agree, I urge us to also become the government. We need more representation in politics.
3. I think its important to have free programs in the community but not just sports. Things like the Arts, which can help foster confidence, creativity and communication skills. It would be great to incorporate ABR/Afrocentric training, through different kinds of programs and mediums. We have to get creative with how we share the info & who is sharing the info.
Example: I started the ACT OUT Youth Theatre Program in Malvern to teach acting/improv etc. I am a professional actor so the youth trusted my acting expertise, it also inspired them to “follow their dreams” because they saw and got to know someone (me) doing just that! The Representation I provided was vital. The kids had so much fun. I was able to make some of the scenes about challenges we might face as black youth (Police, racism, food insecurity etc) and we showed scenes on how to deal with it or avoid it. So it was fun, educational and therapeutic for some. Not one or the other! We gotta get creative. We can do this!
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You can read our newest Evidence Brief, Three Strategies & Seven Practices for Delivering Effective Group Programming for Black Youth, on our Knowledge Hub.
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I really like the way you put that; Growth, Education and Self work! Great reflections. These aspects should be a responsibility for the frontline and individual levels.
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Definitely agree with you Jenny, redefining success would be a great start. Also I really like your point of having more conversations about the challenges black youth with disabilities face.
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Great insight! I definitely believe that simply getting the opinion of black youth and their families around working with other races will demonstrate to them that you are aware of the daily struggles they may deal with through their interactions with other races.
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Thank you for sharing your insight from your course Victoria. I really like those options of change you shared, but it’s also great to hear that the Child and Youth program is implementing those types of discussions for students to engage in, as this is critical when coming into these types of fields and working with a diverse population.
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Of course, actively listening to the stories that are shared with us from youth and their families is very important. I feel like it’s also important to praise them and acknowledge their strength and trust to share such vulnerable experiences.
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Thank You Judah for sharing your experience. Distinguishing intent vs impact is very important, as you proven from your experience. It’s sometimes even hard to tell if others have good intentions when they make comments like that or if there’s something underlying. This is a perfect example of the importance of reflecting on the comments we make before we say them out loud, but it’s great how you put those two together.
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Hi Amanda,
I really liked your point on incorporating black history and experiences into the early schooling system, especially with the benefit of allowing them to implement that knowledge into their everyday lives.
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👍🏾 Agreed! Having communities create and facilitate programs rather than the government will allow more flexibility to the services and actually reflect the needs of that particular population.
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I love this idea of implementing classroom programs to allow the youth to properly express themselves by giving them a safe space to be who they are, without fear. Something like this could very much aid in black youth becoming their own leaders. It can allowed them to gain leadership skills, facilitation skills and social skills.
I agree with you Maha, instead of assuming what their vision is towards anti black racism, basing it off of their lived experiences would definitely work better.
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I 100% agree with everything you have said Cale.
Many organizations that portray themselves as contributing to anti black racism approaches at the end of the day don’t really have anything actually within their programs to reflect that fact. It comes to my mind again about how some of these organizations talk the talk for ministry guidelines, yet either the evidence is not there or not followed afterwards.
Black representation within these organizations is also important in reassuring black youth of what they can amount to.
The history of psychology does contain racist ideologies that first need to be changed in order for these mental health services to be 100% free from any forms of racism.
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Hi Victoria,
Great to hear that, that’s something your program is already practicing. I agree, it is critical to incorporate active listening skills when working with black individuals and allowing them to share their experience.
