Posts Tagged ‘limits’
Tyrone Manners – Making a Second Chance Count
The beginning of secondary school did not go as planned for Tyrone. A combination of factors, including situations outside of school that would be difficult for anyone to endure, got the best of him.
Absences and lates piled up, grades declined, and credits slipped through his fingers.
With most of the close friends that he came into grade 9 with at different schools or not in school at all, motivation to graduate was fading.
When Tyrone was hired as a Mentor for SBL, there were many that questioned whether he was a role model. In that first summer, and in the summers that followed, he thrived in a leadership role. His ability to understand where youth facing difficulties were coming from, his way of presenting options in a way that is not telling you what to do, and the respect he had built with youth in the community made him a fundamental part of the success of SBL. As much as Tyrone was helping others, things got worse before they got better. After a few substantial set-backs, his desire to succeed only grew stronger.
In the past year, he has completed a coop placement with SBL, participated in the completion of 3 short films (one fiction and two documentaries), presented at conferences and forums (as far away as Welland, Ontario), and represented SBL to external stakeholders.
He is now a running a weekly film and photography workshop, he works in SBL as a Senior Mentor, he is a part of The Remix Project, and he is on track to complete secondary school with a goal post-secondary education so that he can continue to work with youth.
Mariah & Precilla – Building a Career from a Passion
Mariah came into SBL as a mentee, fresh out of grade 8, nervous and
excited about entering secondary school. That summer, she built bonds and
connections to other students, mentors, and SBL staff.
Over the course of the following two school years, Mariah moved from
grade a 9 attending tutoring sessions where she was being mentored and was
participating in enrichment activities, to volunteering and supporting other
students.
Outside of SBL, Mariah and her friend Priscilla took advantage of the
remarkable dance program at Westview to make the most of their passion
for dance. While SBL offered dance once a week, this was not enough for
this duo, as they were taking their craft seriously and were practicing daily.
Through performances at Westview, in the community, and throughout the
city, it became clear that they had a gift – one that they could share.
This past summer, Mariah and Priscilla were hired by the SBL summer
program as dance instructors. They instructed over 100 students for 6
weeks, choreographing routines and getting even the most reluctant youth
off the wall in their sessions.
SBL will continue to stand behind Mariah and Priscilla in their vision of building a career in dance, and their goal of starting a small business that will lead into opening a dance school.
Shyanne Witter – Post-Secondary Success: Against the Odds
When Shyanne started mentoring in 2008, there were teachers that
thought it was a ‘mistake’. They were referring to issues around her
attendance, poor grades, negative associations, and an alleged ‘bad
attitude’.
As a Mentor she proved to be highly respected by the students, vital
in conflict mediation, and extremely reliable. In this role she was
voted by her peers as a Mentor Among Mentors for three consecutive
years, the ultimate compliment.
Shyanne’s sense of purpose in helping youth and the personal
success she experienced led to the field of social work. She is now in
her second year at Humber College with a full scholarship that came
with support from a mentor who has already achieved her next goal
of a Masters degree in social work. Those who doubted her now celebrate her success, and she is spoken of by youth she has mentored as a role model. In March of 2011, she was mentioned in the Toronto Star as someone to watch in Jane and Finch.
Shyanne is now working in the SBL Youth Space at Westview Centennial doing her social work placement. This success story, though amazing, is by no means finished.
SBL 2010 – 2012
• Over the course of two summers, 195 new grade 9 students have gone through the Success Beyond Limits summer program; 174 credits have been granted, giving an 89% success rate of students eligible for the credit.
• Achieved a classroom ratio of 1 teacher to 15 students.
• Additional one to one student support as each classroom has 3-4 mentors, bringing the level of support to a 1 to 3 ratio.
• 45 Mentors have been employed and trained during the summer and school year since 2010.
• All 4 of our graduating Mentors in 2010 went on to post-secondary education.
• Brought 7 external programs/organizations to Westview to provide valuable programming to Westview students.
• Worked in partnership with the staff at Brookview Middle School and Oakdale Park Middle School to offer students youth-led workshops and to conduct outreach for our summer program.
Snitching
Matt Galloway spoke with the deputy chief of the Toronto Police Service, Peter Sloly, and wirh Staff Inspector Mark Saunders, he heads up the Toronto Police Homicide Squad.
Listen 
(runs 8:08)
Societal Problem
Matt Galloway spoke about “the code of silence” with the director of the Success Beyond Limits Education Program 
Chris Penrose, and with Andrew Newsome. He is a former mentor in the program.
Listen (runs 7:55)