Mentorship – Connecting students, families and schools

Promoting Alternative Restorative School Supports for Youth (PARSSY)

PARSSY Program Coordinator, Liyu Gebrewold’s work through PARSSY is just beginning to scratch the surface of what is needed in Edmonton schools.

Student referrals for mentorship and the implementation of circle groups are tools to address emerging needs. However, prevention is a huge part of PARSSY’s mission to divert youth away from unwanted behaviour in the first place.

During the 2024/25 school year, Gebrewold built leadership capacity in Black Student Associations (BSA), collaborated with three junior high schools, and held performances and workshops in 14 Edmonton schools during Black History Month.

“Giving hope for youth, creating that sense of belongingness and connection, mentorship and creating group resilience through different activities is key to engaging youth in positive activities so that they can avoid negative behaviour,” explains Gebrewold.

This work has had both a positive and tangible impact on the culture in M.E. LaZerte High School, says former M.E. LaZerte Principal George Hoyt.

“Gebrewold is exceptional. So having her in that role has really made the program enhance the building even more,” Hoyt says.

Hoyt has been with Edmonton Public Schools for 27 years and has worked as a principal for the last 10 years of his career.

From 2021 until the end of June 2025, Hoyt worked with Gebrewold to address needs among Black and African students in M.E. LaZerte.

“There is a stronger component of kids feeling like they belong – and the Africa Centre has done that. That was by being in front rooms, being at coffee tables,” he says.

While Hoyt doesn’t have hard numbers to support the impact of PARSSY, he says, as the program grew, so too did its reach in the school, citing improvements in attendance rates among English Language Learner (ELL) programs.

“We saw students that traditionally would maybe not be connected to the school, be connected to the school,” he says. “We didn’t measure how that belonging was created but I really believe that Africa Centre and Liyu were a component of that because of the offspring of the program.”

Hoyt was referring to programs and activities such as the BSA, drumming events in the atrium, Arts Day, ELL night and Black History Month events. These events started happening organically following the school’s partnership with PARRSY and Africa Centre.

“Belonging leads to success academically,” he adds.

In many ways, Africa Centre along with the PARSSY program have been able to bridge the gap between Black students, their families and the school system.

“Gebrewold would literally go to someone’s house… This is work teachers do not have time to do, but that work is what gets them back in the class,” says Hoyt. “Our model in a school is not designed for that. Once they walk out the door, we are very limited in what supports we can do and we also have financial constraints.”

With a whole-student and community approach, PARSSY is connecting students and their families to services and other programs which help students show up to class and learn.

In her role, Gebrewold has assisted students and their families access social services, employment programs, financial supports, counselling clinics and mental health services as well as other programs offered by Africa Centre.