Building communities of allies where everyone counts, and everyone belongs!

community builders youth leadership Building communities of allies where everyone counts, and everyone belongs! www.cbyouthleadership.org

community builders youth leadership Making friends at the Toronto Ally Leadership Day

community builders youth leadership What We empower young people, teachers and parents to be leaders in building safe and inclusive school communities. we do: Community Builders is a not-for-profit organization with charitable status, established in 1994.

Be an ally! Caring is cool! Everyone counts, everyone belongs! community builders youth leadership Our messages:

community builders youth leadership Our programs: FOUR-YEAR YOUTH LEADERSHIP INSTITUTES Students begin the program in Grades 4 or 5, and complete it in Grades 7 or 8. Teams of students from neighbouring schools come together to learn about oppression issues and practice advanced skills for being ALLIES and mediators. Back at school they lead workshops with their peers, and initiate projects to make their schools safer, more inclusive and more caring.

community builders youth leadership Our programs: HALF AND FULL DAY WORKSHOPS For students Grades 1 through high school, parents, teachers and teachers-in-training. Community Builders provides interactive Leadership Workshops for young people and adults on some of the core concepts taught in the Institute program. Topics include: Taking pride in our diverse backgrounds; understanding racism, classism, young peoples’ oppression, sexism, and boy’s oppression; and learning how to be a supportive listener and ALLY.

Our Approach: Our Curriculum: community builders youth leadership What makes us unique: Our commitment to multi-year leadership development. Our anti-oppression curriculum. Our emphasis on building practical skills. Our focus on youth initiative. Our whole community approach. Our use of the arts.

community builders youth leadership Our approach: We are committed to multi-year leadership development. Wetake students through four years of Youth Leadership Institutes so that they have the support to make sustainable change. Picture: Students in Espanola lead an Ally Workshop for students at their school.

community builders youth leadership Our approach: We encourage youth initiative. Our “Train the Trainer” approach prepares students to lead workshops and develop projects they want to do with their peers. Picture: Grades 7 and 8 students from Oakdale Park Middle School in Toronto present their “Kick the Cliques” initiative to students and teachers from other schools.

community builders youth leadership Our approach: We employ a whole community approach. Parents, teachers, and teacher candidates are trained alongside the students in our programs. Picture: A teacher and student from Toronto present ideas from their discussion group.

Below: Students at A.B. Ellis School in Espanola lead a discussion during a workshop with their peers. Above: Students are encouraged to practice their presentation skills at a Leadership Institute in Toronto.

community builders youth leadership Our curriculum: We employ an anti-oppression curriculum. Young people learn how oppression like racism and sexism hurt people, and how being an ally to others can build an inclusive school. Picture: A Community Builders trainer in action.

community builders youth leadership Our curriculum: We support youth inbuilding practical skills. Students learn “how to stop the meanness without being mean back” through active listening and mediation. Picture: A student holds up his Community Builders workbook full of presentation scripts, songs, and steps on how to be an ally through mediation and listening.

community builders youth leadership Our curriculum: We use the arts! Concepts and skills are taught and learned through engaging drama, music and art. Picture: Students in Espanola perform a traditional feather dance.

community builders youth leadership Why our work is needed: It’s hard to learn when you think no one likes you, or that you must constantly fight to prove yourself. Bullying, sexual harassment and racial discrimination are major public health problems in Canada’s elementary, middle and high schools. At least one or two children in every classroom experiences ongoing targeting from other children, leaving them feeling alone, depressed and often angry. - Canadian Public Health Association

community builders youth leadership Where we work: Community Builders is currently working in four regions in Ontario: ESPANOLA REGION Espanola, Little Current, Massey, Sagamok, Aundeck Omni Kaning, Sheguindah and M’Chigeeng First Nations SUDBURY REGION Sudbury, Copper Cliff, Hamner and Whitefish TORONTO REGION Jane/Finch neighbourhood GRAND RIVER REGION Brantford, Caledonia, York and Six Nations

community builders youth leadership Some highlights: OUR WORK WITH FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITIES First Nations trainers are an integral part of our leadership teams. We bring together students from First Nations, public and Catholic schools. Understanding and combating racism against First Nations people is a key feature of our programs. Picture: Six Nations student leaders prepare to deliver an Ally Assembly

“Residential schools have left people dependent. These students who are being trained as leaders take more initiative, they greet you more openly and their self-esteem is building. The other students see that and there's more permission to do it themselves.” Pauline Toulouse, Principal, Biidaaban School (Sagamok Reserve)

community builders youth leadership Some highlights: OUR WORK IN THE JANE/FINCH NEIGHBOURHOOD OF TORONTO Our student leaders in the neighbourhood are committed to violence prevention. Grade 7 students have designed their own projects to address issues they see as important - cliques and gangs, “snitching” and “Black on Black crime”. Picture: Students deliver “Speakouts” at a Closing Celebration

“Community Builders can make the neighbourhood a great place. If we keep it up, it can help.” Grade 5 students, Shoreham PS, Jane Finch, Toronto

community builders youth leadership Some highlights: TEACHER TRAININGS Teachers are essential to creating inclusive classroom environments. Community Builders delivers in-service trainings for classroom teachers, and workshops for teacher candidates at Schools of Education. Picture: Our diverse team of student leaders, lead parents, and training associates at a workshop for teacher candidates at Laurentian University’s School of Education

Every year, Community Builders students and trainers deliver workshops at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education “Safe Schools” and “Teacher Activism” conferences.

community builders youth leadership Our impact: 94% of over 400 students, teachers, parents and administrators surveyed at all sites are sure that the Community Builders program is helping their schools become safer and more caring places. Data taken from year-end surveys.

community builders youth leadership 95% of students surveyed have stepped in to help others as a result of being trained as a Community Builders Leader.

community builders youth leadership Lead Teachers and Lead Parents report that their Community Builders training is making them better teachers and parents.

community builders youth leadership What people are saying about CB: “I think CB is a group of young people trying to make a difference in their community. A good difference, a kind of difference that is changing how people think about problems, and helping people think about more than just themselves.” Grade 7 student, Joseph Brant School, Brantford

community builders youth leadership “When I did a workshop, a girl came up to me and asked me how to solve a fight. She brought me to where the people were fighting, and she watched me as I helped solve it, and now she is helping solve fights because she saw me do it.” Grade 8 student, Fairview School, Brantford

community builders youth leadership “The Community Builders approach goes beyond what other programs teach. Students find out that people act out of their pain. The program empowers them with this knowledge - more than any other program.” Juliet Morales, Vice-Principal, Yorkwoods School, Toronto

community builders youth leadership “Friend of Become a Community Builders” Be part of an organization that makes a difference for children, parents and teachers - an organization that empowers people of all ages to be caring leaders and allies. Here’s how you can get involved: Help build a base of support in the wider community. Get the word out about this important work. Volunteer in Community Builders’ activities. Make a donation to Community Builders to ensure that the training of young leaders continues.

community builders youth leadership Contact us! E-mail: info@cbyouthleadership.org Phone: (416) 766-5946 Address: 310 Beresford Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M6S 3B3 For more information about our programs, and/or to donate securely and easily online, please visit: www.cbyouthleadership.org

Building communities of allies where everyone counts, and everyone belongs!