Working with their school’s BIPOC committee and the Lead UP group at their Club, which provides youth with opportunities to engage in service initiatives that address community needs, BGC Winnipeg young leaders Busayo and Faith led a schoolwide initiative to raise awareness about Black History Month, important Black leaders, and Black culture in Canada and the U.S. 

With support from Heather, a staff member at BGC Winnipeg, they applied for BGC Canada’s Anti-Racism Initiative Microgrant to help support the initiative.

BGC Canada’s Anti-Racism Initiative Microgrants, sponsored by Hyundai Canada and Best Buy Canada, were created to support youth-led initiatives from Club members across Canada.

The microgrants aim to elevate youth voices around anti-racism, especially in BIPOC communities. BGC Canada is committed to removing barriers for youth and instilling the confidence they need to achieve their best selves. Stories like this one are what we mean when we say: No. More. Barriers. 

Everyone involved spent the fall of 2021 and winter of 2022 preparing for the event. The group organized online activities (like Kahoot!) to be delivered in classrooms at Dakota Collegiate and created posters for the entire school, incorporating an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens in the messaging. Busayo also led a video production, where people of all ages were interviewed and spoke about their experiences with racism and what they were hopeful for in the future. 

You can view the video here: https://vimeo.com/513578469 

Busayo says it was her “favourite project so far,” one that she will remember for a long time.  

“I never thought I could lead such a big project.”

February is Black History Month and BGC Canada’s National Youth Council wants to challenge everyone to take steps towards learning more about what this month means for individuals, communities, and Canada.

Below, we have two different approaches to spark learning for #BlackHistoryMonth.

• A series of terms that you can research online, on your own or as a group activity
• Activities and topics inspired by our Anti-racism Initiative Microgrants (A.I.M.) that Clubs can use to participate in Black History Month

Don’t forget to read our National Youth Council Statement on Anti-Racism and BGC Canada’s Statement on Racism and Discrimination.

SEARCH TERMS

Step 1: Choose a term below

Step 2: Use your favourite search engine to search the term online

Step 3: Write down one thing you learned and share it with someone at your Club, a family member, a friend, or anyone else you think would be interested!

Step 4: If you are Club staff, post on social media using the animated graphic that matches the search term—let us know what your Club youth learned, use the hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth, and tag @BGCCAN!
 

• code-switching
• #BLM
• Viola Desmond
• equity vs equality
• Africville Nova Scotia
• food desert
• adultification bias
• medical racism
• Matt Galloway
• Jully Black
• womanism
• Leonard Braithwaite
• Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré
• Black joy
• Willie O’Ree
• Donovan Bailey

BLACK HISTORY MONTH ACTIVITIES

Our Anti-racism Initiative Microgrants (A.I.M.), generously sponsored by Hyundai Canada and Best Buy Canada, offered up to $2,000 to Club members between the ages of 13 – 24 to run a youth-led event, workshop, or other activity that promotes and educates about anti-racism.

Below are some activity ideas based on our first round of A.I.M. recipients!
 

• Black History Month video project: Interview different generations about their past, present experiences, and hope for for an equitable and inclusive society in the future
• Educational video about anti-racism: Create an educational video about the community and why anti-racism is so important, including education about Newcomers and People of Colour
• How to talk about racism: Research and run a webinar on anti-racism efforts in your community
• I Stand Against … workshop: Host BIPOC speakers in a workshop that aims to combat anti-Indigenous sentiments from the community, as well as provide education around allyship and actionable steps
• No Room for Racism day: Run an anti-racism day at the Club with conversations about anti-racism, food from various cultures, poster contests, and more
• Arts and Activism: Create an art show that raises awareness and encourages dialogue around diversity and expression
• Community project: Connect with local university or college to run a workshop on racism and inclusion
• We are not the Same virtual event: Host a virtual event to appreciate People of Colour and explore/dismiss stereotypes
• Anti-racism group chat: Organize a group to talk about racism against various marginalized groups
• Book club: Choose a book written by a BIPOC author and organize a meeting to discuss

Team members from BGC East Scarborough accept donations of Lenovo 100e Chromebooks from Best Buy Canada’s Geek Squad Agents.

TORONTO, ON (June 30, 2020) – This week Lenovo, in partnership with Best Buy Canada, delivered 650 100E Chromebooks to Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada to help support the ongoing education of Canadian students.

The donation, which will distribute devices to kids at 61 Boys and Girls Club locations across Canada, comes at a time when connectivity is more important than ever. With closures of schools and community programming as a result of COVID-19, students are forced to turn to technology to remain engaged and complete their studies.

“COVID-19 has shined a spotlight on the importance of technology in education, but unfortunately, not all students have access to the devices needed to continue their studies at home,” said Colin McIsaac, executive director and general manager, Lenovo Canada. “The rapid transition from in-class to e-learning in our education system has highlighted the deep digital divide among students that is growing more rapidly due to the global pandemic. We are proud to be doing our part to help support their ongoing education by providing Chromebooks to these students.”

“Having had a strong partnership with Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada since 2001, we understand how much children and youth rely on the Clubs for support,” said Polly Tracey, Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs at Best Buy Canada. “During COVID-19, our purpose of enriching lives through technology is more important than ever. We’re proud to be able to connect Boys and Girls Club families to technology when they need it most and we’re so pleased that Lenovo was keen to collaborate with us on this initiative.”

Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada encourage and support every child and youth to play, learn and grow to achieve their dreams, through various programs that span beyond the traditional school year. Since the transition to e-learning as a result of COVID-19, the organization has ramped up its efforts to get much needed technology in the hands of students. 

“We are grateful to Lenovo and Best Buy Canada for this important donation, which comes at a pivotal time for Boys and Girls Clubs youth across Canada, especially those who may not have the resources they need,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. “In addition to students’ ongoing studies, families are beginning to think about summer plans and activities for kids. Many of our Clubs have turned to virtual programming and these devices will help keep kids and teens connected so they can benefit from everything our Clubs offer.”

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About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$50 billion Fortune Global 500 company, with 63,000 employees and operating in 180 markets around the world.  Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, we are developing world-changing technologies that create a more inclusive, trustworthy and sustainable digital society. By designing, engineering and building the world’s most complete portfolio of smart devices and infrastructure, we are also leading an Intelligent Transformation – to create better experiences and opportunities for millions of customers around the world. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Weibo and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

LENOVO is a trademark of Lenovo. CHROMEBOOK is a trademark of Google LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2020, Lenovo Group Limited.

About Best Buy Canada
A wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY), Best Buy Canada Ltd. is one of Canada’s largest and most successful omni-channel retailers, operating the Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, and Geek Squad (www.geeksquad.ca) brands. With over 170 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores across Canada and an expanded assortment of lifestyle products offered through BestBuy.ca, Best Buy is a leader in total retail, catering to customers how, when, and where they want to shop. Best Buy Canada is committed to making a positive impact in the community with programs and partnerships that support youth to connect with technology to advance their education. For more information, visit BestBuy.ca

Media contacts:

Jared Morrow
Media Relations Manager, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada
jmorrow@bgccan.com

Lisa Marie Ferrell
Head of PR, Lenovo North America
lferrell1@lenovo.com