YOUTH PROGRAMS

Mentorship & Leadership Program

Mentorship-&-Leadership-Program

Our multi-level mentorship initiative provides mentorship opportunities for youths (ages 12- 30) by connecting them with young adults, adults, and professionals. Youths are matched with mentors, who depending on the individual needs may have had similar life experiences, barriers, share a common cultural heritage, or interests or goals in life. Appropriate measures are put in place to ensure that our young people are supported to meet their goals.

We provide support to youths to:

  • Increase their chances of life and career success

  • Reduce the likelihood of becoming involved in high-risk activities

  • Enhance educational performance through academic support

Mentorship Streams

1-on-1 Mentorship

Youth Mentorship

Youth are matched with young adult or adult mentors. Mentors provide youth with academic, social, personal, and/or community support.

Online Support Tutoring

Youth are matched with young adult or adult mentors. Mentors provide youth with academic, social, personal, and/or community support.

Professional Mentorship

Youths are matched with professionals in their desired field. The purpose of the match is to encourage professional/career growth.

Group Mentorship

School Mentorship

Youth and young adults are matched with young adults and professionals in a group/school settings. The purpose of this match is to support the academic success of youth and young adults.

Cultural Mentorship

Cultural activities that enhance our youths’ connection to our collective and individual African cultures. The purpose of the match is to foster cultural identity through cultural activities such as language, dance, cooking storytelling, crafts.

leadership-activities

Leadership Activities

Our leadership component works hand in hand with our mentorship project to provide opportunities for our youths and community to:

  • Participate in a series of personal, professional, and cultural leadership workshops.

  • Develop new skills through recreation, arts, and crafts.

  • Enhance career development

  • Plan individual and/or collective leadership/community service-learning projects that involve building bridges between Edmonton’s African and non-African peoples.

  • Benefit from the input of a Wisdom Keeper’s Circle composed of African community elders and members that provide cultural reconnection and community engagement

Some of the workshops and training include, but are not limited to:

  • Protective factors against bullying and peer pressure

  • Arts & Crafts

  • Resume and cover letter

  • Career planning

  • Self-care workshops

  • Financial literacy

  • Cultural activities

Basketball

An extension of the Mentorship and Leadership program, Africa Centre’s Basketball program enlists the partnerships and assistance of notable coaches that model positive, responsible behaviour while engaging youth in recreational skills development. We capitalize on positive peer influence formed through collective recreational engagement.

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Program Outcomes

Participants:

  • Improve in academics and attitude

  • Are less likely to indulge in at-risk behaviors (school suspension, substance abuse, police involvement, recidivism)

  • Experience improvement in self-concept: trusting relationships with family, peers, mentors, self-reliance, self-esteem.

  • Foster positive cultural identity.

  • Acquire knowledge and skills pertinent to their personal, professional, and/or leadership skills.

  • Increase in constructive behavior, e.g., community engagement, new activities & interests.

  • Gain professional guidance in chosen careers.

program-outcomes

Meet Zainab, an Africa Centre mentee, as she shares how one of our dedicated program mentors guided her towards success.

Mentors/Volunteers

  • Improve in academics and attitude

  • Are less likely to indulge in at-risk behaviors (school suspension, substance abuse, police involvement, recidivism)

  • Experience improvement in self-concept: trusting relationships with family, peers, mentors, self-reliance, self-esteem.

  •  Foster positive cultural identity.

  • Acquire knowledge and skills pertinent to their personal, professional, and/or leadership skills.

  • Increase in constructive behavior, e.g., community engagement, new activities & interests.

  • Gain professional guidance in chosen careers

Our Partners & Funders

ac-edmonton-community
ac-fcss
ac-alberta
ac-canada
ac-edmonton
ac-otip
ac-aglc
ac-phaoc
ac-united-way
ac-reach
ac-cwb
ac-bdc
ac-pedc
ac-esdc
ac-rbc
ac-aca
ac-telus
ac-ec
ac-nait