Moving into September, our summer programs are officially completed. Unlike any other summer in BGC East Scarborough’s history, our team had to completely pivot mid school year due to the changing ways of the world brought by the pandemic. Exploring the new issues existing amongst our children and teens at the beginning of the pandemic, our team has grown our COVID-19 response summer and ‘after-school’ program to fit the needs of our children and community. We have provided both virtual and in person programs, while consistently following PPE protocols to keep kids safe, engaged and involved.

At the beginning of the pandemic, our team was faced with the challenge of increasing engagement and learning online with our children, as everyone was struggling to adjust. Throughout this time, our team needed to figure out effective ways to fill the void of interacting and learning online for our children. Adjusting to the change both online and in person included: being mindful of how to keep kids engaged maximizing the limited space as our summers are usually filled with trips and...

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person services at BGC East Scarborough are closed to the public. However, the Youth Outreach Workers are currently providing support virtually via phone calls, texts, email, and social media outlets. Their supports are inclusive of: educational & alternative learning, housing, legal services, and counseling.

Please reach out to our Youth Outreach Team if you need support in the aforementioned areas.

efranklyn@esbgc.ca kmilson@esbgc.ca oduggan@esbgc.ca

The L.I.T. program is, well, LIT.

L.I.T., short for Leaders in Training, is a 6-week summer program created for youth age 13-15 to explore their identities and create a path that the youth can follow in order to reach their goals. The program began the first week of July and has been happening every day since then.

Marcia, Coordinator of L.I.T. for 2019, has split up the programming into a series of topics over the next 6 weeks, which include;

1. Self-Discovery
2. Basic Nutrition and the environment Environment
3. Internet Addictions/Time Management
4. Self Esteem and Body Image
5. Media
6. Community Living

They will end the program with an overnight camping trip.

An essential part of L.I.T. is uncovering the answer to “Who am I?” Being at an age of self-discovery and constant changes, a lot of youth can feel uncomfortable and out of place; not understanding what it means to be you. They will grasp individuality and create an overall outline of their goals. It will help them think about their likes, interests, and...

We have some extremely epic news to share! In celebration of Black History Month, we are officially launching our Be Boundless Campaign, an International Youth Exchange Program. The 2019 campaign will send a group of youth to Ghana for the ‘Year of the Return’ marking the 400 year anniversary since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to English North America in 1619.

Eight youth will be carefully selected to attend the 15 day exchange to Ghana and Benin. On the trip, the group will actively engage in various experiences that will help them develop a broader perspective on global issues and a deeper understanding of global citizenship.

The idea for this exchange stemmed from the desire for greater and more ambitious youth development initiatives on the club level. This type of experience can break geographic boundaries and give youth a greater perspective on how their peers live, study and deal with similar issues, whether in Accra, Ghana or Scarborough.

Executive Director of the BGC East Scarborough, Utcha Sawyers shared some amazing information about the...