Hamilton organizations partner in new project to improve Black students’ experiences at school
Hamilton organizations are launching a project to find out how the city's school boards can better serve Black youth.
Over the next several weeks, Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI) and Hamilton Students for Justice (HS4J) are inviting Black high schoolers to engage in conversation about racism, bullying, mental health and COVID isolation, among other topics.
It's really a project that's going to centre on Black students," said co-ordinator Ahona Mehdi, a former Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) student trustee who called out racism at the board, prompting a third-party investigation. Rather than telling Black students what they need, Black students can tell us what they need."
The first of eight Zoom sessions, facilitated by Black and racialized youth, takes place on Tuesday.
Through sessions - which will take place through Aug. 19 - and an online survey, the program hopes to reach at least 250 Black students at schools in Hamilton.
Participating students will receive a $50 gift card to the establishment of their choice.
The project is intended to mobilize Black students in order to ensure that they can self-advocate," Mehdi said.
Partner organizations - including NTRL Development, the Sexual Assault Centre for Hamilton and Area (SACHA), the Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO) and the YWCA - will connect with students at each session.
This is also trying to build a network or a web of community organizations that can support Black youth if they have issues at school or in the community," said Kojo Damptey, HCCI's executive director.
The initiative is funded through the Ministry of Education, which in June allocated $1.43 million provincewide to help address policies and practices that have had adverse impacts on Ontario's Black students, as well as support anti-racism work," a June 7 media release reads.
Damptey said results and recommendations based on the data collected are expected in September. A full report will be distributed to Hamilton school boards, as well as the Ministry of Education.
Hopefully the public school boards will adopt some of those recommendations," he said.
Kate McCullough is a Hamilton-based reporter covering education at The Spectator. Reach her via email: kmccullough@thespec.com