Projects & Events

Free Online Tutoring Program

Immediately after the announcement of the school shutdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, SYU’s dedicated team initiated an online tutoring program. Knowing that many families in our communities are disproportionately and devastatingly hit by job and income loss in the face of COVID-19, and concerned about how the additional pressure might manifest in a family context, we hoped to offer working-class families a sense of normalcy through these tutoring programs. We ran over 20 small-group tutoring sessions per week to over 60 students in grades 6-12, as well as a weekly book club, movie club, and French conversation club.

Photovoice project for high school students

In June 2020, SYU launched a photovoice project that engages racialized youths in the suburbs in important discussions on social justice issues and supports them in learning to take photos that reflect their perspectives and lived experiences. We are grateful to Groundswell Community Justice Trust Fund for supporting this project.

Our photovoice themes include

  • Racism and white supremacy
  • Indigenous history and settler colonialism 
  • Precarious employment and racialization of poverty 
  • Environmental Justice
  • Social Justice Summer Camp Summer 2020

Parent Workshops

We engage with immigrant parents through monthly workshops that revolve around improving parent-child relationships skills, while examining the impact of white Eurocentric norms on intergenerational communication in immigrant families. 

Education and Career Panels

Through a series of panels, we invited young adults in post-secondary education, apprenticeship programs, and employment to share their life experiences with high school students and their parents. The purpose was to better equip high school students and parents with knowledge and skills for potential future engagement with post-secondary education, apprenticeship programs, and early career employment. The panelists explored topics such as taking care of one’s mental health, dealing with racism on campus, family support and more. 

Online Photo Gallery

To create a sense of community during social distancing, we created an online gallery for  tutors, students and parents in our tutoring program to share photos on specific themes. There are separate Padlets for the movie and book clubs.


https://padlet.com/scarboroughyouthunited/photogallery

Other workshops:

In addition to the activities above, SYU also organizes a variety of workshops and workshop series, covering topics ranging from creative writing and mindfulness to computer programming