my.ryerson.ca

Tri-Mentoring Program

Community Partners

Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC)

Toronto Community Housing is one of the largest social housing providers in North America and home to about 164,000 tenants in communities across Toronto. They work with tenants, the community and other stakeholders to create strong, healthy neighbourhoods.

Initiatives focus on education as powerful tools towards reaching future goals and include Ryerson University Mentoring Classes offered to TCHC members, Black History Month Events and The Youth Graduate Gala.
Pathways to Education

The Pathways to Education™ Program is a proven effective model, first created and implemented in Regent Park by the Regent Park Community Health Centre. Their Mission is to ensure that young people from at-risk and/or economically disadvantaged communities achieve their full potential by getting to school, staying in school, graduating and moving on to post-secondary programs.

Initiatives include PSO101- Post Secondary Options and You, a workshop that provides information on different post-secondary options such how to apply, program information, what to expect when you arrive, how to get involved and what type of student services are available to you, a panel discussion and a campus tour.
Yonge Street Mission

Yonge Street Mission focuses on meeting the complex needs of Toronto's large street youth population. A wide variety of programs and services are available to street-involved youth under 25. Evergreen is a safe place where street youth can rest, eat, obtain health care, receive parental relief and get help with finding a job or a place to stay. Here, street youth can find a place to belong, someone to talk to and people who genuinely care.

Initiatives The FG Project supports the Black Creek Community Health Centre by providing assistance to their youth programming by sending First Generation Ambassadors to work with Health Centre professionals such as Phenomenal Women and Financial Literacy Program for Youth.
Blackcreek Community Health Centre

Black Creek Community Health Centre is a non-profit, community based organization that provides health care services in a holistic manner and works with people to create safe and healthy communities. The BCCHC is funded by Central LHIN and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Initiatives include PSO Advising Sessions which give the youth the opportunity to discuss any topics pertaining to post-secondary education, including programs of interest, financial aid and application processes.
St. Stephen's Community House

St. Stephen's Community House is a unique, community-based social service agency that has been serving the needs of Kensington Market and surrounding neighbourhoods in downtown West Toronto since 1962.

Initiatives include PSO 101 - Post Secondary Options and You, a workshop that provides information on different post secondary options such as how to apply, program information, what to expect when you arrive, how to get involved and what type of student services are available to you, a panel discussion and a campus tour. For the past 2 years, the FG Project and St. Stephen's Community House has been co-hosting mentoring conferences that take place in the Spring. The FG Project is looking to team up with this organization again in Spring 2012.
SERVE - Engaging Youth for Change

Serve! works with youth ages 13-24 in inner-city communities in experiential education that connects youth and the community - and positively impacts both. Youth who come to Serve! often face obstacles - personal, economic, and social - that have made it difficult to achieve success. The program at Serve! is designed to help them overcome these obstacles and achieve success. Serve! offers youth experiential learning programs which range from a six-month program for older youth, to March Break and summer programming for younger age groups. As well, Serve! offers a six-week summer employment readiness program for older youth. Youth participants with Serve! discover their true potential through developing leadership and teamwork skills.

Initiatives include PSO 101 - Post Secondary Options and You, a workshop that provides information on different post secondary options such as how to apply, program information, what to expect when you arrive, how to get involved and what type of student services are available to you, a panel discussion and a campus tour.

High School Partners

The First Generation Project, in partnership with the Toronto District School Board and the Catholic School Board, has identified schools that are populated by students that would benefit from exposure to post-secondary options. The following schools that the FG project currently works with include:

The Take Your Kids to Work Day event provides practical information on different post-secondary options such as college, universities and apprenticeships. This full day event takes students through program information, how to apply, what to expect when they arrive, how to get involved and what type of student services are available. The day is also highlighted by a panel of student mentors who share their personal experiences, a campus tour, and a mock lecture by a Ryerson Professor.

Eastdale Collegiate Institute

Each week, FG staff host Lunch N’ Learns during the school lunch hour where they make a brief presentation or lead a discussion regarding post-secondary education and future options. Topics range from “Tips on Goal-Setting” to “Information on Universities, Colleges and Apprenticeships”. Following the presentation, students take part in discussions, ask questions and spend the rest of the lunch hour playing games and interacting with staff.

In the after school Remedial Program Tutoring, mentors from the Tri-Mentoring Program assist 1-2 students with their homework from 3:15-4 PM. Students receive tutoring in math, law, history, English, science and economics. While tutoring, the youth and the mentors developed relationships where the youth would feel comfortable to ask questions about university and the benefits and challenges of obtaining a post-secondary education.
Earl Haig Secondary School - R.O.O.T.S Group

Earl Haig Secondary School is an Arts school located in the North West area of Toronto. Walking through the school you will notice artwork, photography, dance studios and students. However, a certain sector of students feel like outcasts, left out and out of place. When a teacher noticed this issue she started an after school program called Roots, the sense of knowing where you came from. It started off as a small group that would hang out after school and when they partnered with Ryerson Universities Tri Mentoring Program it became a lifestyle for many of the youth to have a safe space to talk about issues, and several topics affecting youth today.

Initiatives: Post secondary, financial literacy, sexuality, racism, stereotypes workshops are just some of the many discussions that occur on a weekly basis with the roots program. This program has evolved to include youth from different ethnicities to share their own opinion and feel open and entitled to opinions. The roots group was instrumental in putting together awareness campaigns through the Black History Month Celebrations as well as the posters made to create awareness in the school. Currently Roots is working with community groups from across the GTA to help with 106 and York, an urban Arts Festival brought to you by Manifesto, Highclass and Nise. The Roots youth have gained confidence and expertise in many fields all because of this safe space and it will be very interesting to see where they end up in years to come.

Ryerson Partners

The First Generation Project also supports Ryerson University initiatives to ensure that FG students at Ryerson are supported throughout their time at university. The FG Project supports the following partners within the Ryerson Community: