5. W.T.F
(We’re The Future) POD
Akber Karimzad Disha Chatterjee Tasheka Mitchell
Mona Mahant Mithula Gruban Anoshe Kugan
Thamelini Sivarajah Princess Francesco Hend Ijam
Mariam Butros Luxsi Kirupanayagam
Brendan Arnott
6. Brief Description of Your Project:
* We initially wanted to talk about sexual assault but as a group we
decided against it because it didn‟t reflect our interests and we
wanted to focus on something we were more passionate about
* We researched about shelters & community organizations
around Jane & Finch - from arts centres to drop-in shelters to
hospitals and daycare centres
* We decided to provide care packages for vulnerable people /
those in need – homeless folks or those leaving situations of
violence
7. * We wanted to provide supplies that we take for
granted but that some people might not have access
to (especially in emergency situations)
* We asked shelters in Jane & Finch about their
needs
* Basic needs supplies (shampoo, toothpaste, soap, loofahs,
deodorant, razors, toothbrushes, hair ties, combs, feminine products,
floss-picks)
8. * We decided on basic needs supplies
(shampoo, toothpaste, soap, loofahs, deodorant, razors, toothbrushes, hair
ties, combs, feminine products, floss-picks)
* Each pod member was given a task, and we assembled them in Ziplock
bags
* We attached a list of free and cheap community food bank resources in
the Jane / Finch area
9. What Issues from Toronto Vital Signs Did Your
Project Address:
* Health & Wellness
* Getting Around
* Gap between Rich &
Poor
* Safety
10. Why was your project important?
* It helped us provide resources and give back to the
community
* We learned about social action, philanthropy, and
the different ways to help out in communities
* It connected us to our community and gave us a
different perspective
11. What did you Accomplish?
* We were able to provide over 50 care packages to
Society for the Living
12. What Did Your Pod Learn about Social Justice & Change?
* Anyone can make a change in their community
* A little change can make a big difference
* Group work and decision making is difficult
* It‟s hard to combine everyone‟s ideas into one project that will satisfy
everyone, but it‟s worth it in the end
* The way we can make change starts from our own ideas and lived
experiences
* Be the change you want to see in your community
* Social work, social justice and social change can be many different
things
* You can incorporate social change into your life no matter who you
are, where you are, what you‟re doing, etc.
13. Address to NOISE Fellows
Mayoral Candidate, City of Toronto’s First
Child & Youth Advocate, MP Trinity- Spadina
16. We collaborated with Black Creek Community Health
Centre to promote healthy eating and well-being.
* Having fun with healthy foods
*Spreading awareness around health
and well being
*Food trivia, family games, food
sampling!
18. What Was Your Project Important?
Healthy eating contributes towards psychological well being and
good physical health
What did you Accomplish?
Created awareness around the value of healthy eating,
created opportunities for having fun with healthy foods,
successfully collaborated with community partners!
19. Through our social action project we learned:
*Social Change IS possible
*Social justice is everyone‟s right and brings peace
and harmony to the community
*Social change happens with effective team work
20. Keynote Address
Chelsea Jane Edwards
Aboriginal Youth Ambassador of Canada, Activist,
Co-Founder of Shannen’s Dream
23. Brief Description of Spring Food Drive Project
Supporting North York Harvest Food Bank by organizing
a spring food drive with the
collaboration of the Student Success Centre @
York University.
Food Drive at Emery Collegiate Institute
Volunteering for the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Pod Loud Video
24. What Issues from Toronto Vital Signs Did Your
Project Address?
Poverty
Health & Wellness
25. Why Was Your Project Important?
Engaged our community in meeting the food needs of the Jane &
Finch community by organizing a food drive.
What did you Accomplish?
Collected 1400 pounds
of food for North York Harvest Food Bank
Collaborated with multiple partners.
26. What Did Your Pod Learn
about Social Justice & Change?
*Social Justice & Change is
empowering for everyone who is
involved.
*It builds stronger connection to a
community.
*Creates a sense of belonging.
29. Our Social Action Project…
Labels:
Challenging stigma in the Jane/Finch
community
30. Project Description
• Create dialogue in Jane/Finch and surrounding community
• Addressed “Least Livable Neighbourhood” report and counter article by
Success Beyond Limits
• Spoke with community members about labeling
• Challenging negative labels and stigma
• “Single story” of Jane/Finch
• Community members write down their labels “forced” upon
them as well as who they really are
• “Don‟t judge a book by its cover”
31. • Safety
• Work
• Gap Between Rich and Poor
• Leadership,
• Civic Engagement
and Belonging
• “Unofficial Vital Sign”
Stigma
– Affects all Vital Signs
– Quality of life of all Torontonians
Vital Signs
Addressed:
32. SAP Importance
• Created awareness of disconnects between stigma and
„reality‟
• Contributed to recreating/reframing images of community
• Allowed community to address stigma
Respond to “Least Livable Neighbourhood” Report
• Gave community and youth a platform to multiply
understandings of Jane/Finch
• Challenged perceptions of Jane/Finch
SAP Accomplishments
33. What We Learned About
Social Justice & Change…
• It is a hard thing to do
• It‟s rewarding
Giving back to community
• Fun, creative and enjoyable
• It is possible!!!
34.
35. Social Media For Change!
Katarina
Matt
Sinai
Emily
Candice
Sanjal
Nimrut
Hira
Avneet
Bukie
37. Social Media for Change focused on the
expectations placed on youth in Jane and
Finch and how they impacted them.
We conducted a number of surveys, interviews,
letters and research on this matter.
We conducted reached with people, we spread
awareness, we conducted civic engagement,
we made change!
38. The Vital Signs we addressed:
Leadership (Civic Engagement and Belonging )
& Learning
39. Why was our project important?
1) It brought awareness to how low expectations
could become a barrier for youth & how high expectations
can be a source of encouragement for youth.
2) Created dialogue around the links between low
expectations and barriers to success in post-
secondary educations
What did we accomplish?
We created awareness- reached over 1000 people,
were „liked‟ on Facebook by over 250 and „shared‟
multiple times. We created, contributed to and
shifted the dialogue1
40. What did we learn about social justice and social
change?
*Social justice involves creating opportunities for
innovative student engagement
*Social forces, such as low expectations, impact
youth- addressing these is important to creating
change
*community members can work with people in power
to create change (advocacy and activism)
*social justice and social change can take many
forms
41.
42. S.E.E.D
Seeking Empowerment, Education, & Development for Change
Afrah Alcram
Emel Yildiz
Jadeen Finnigan
Kourtney Clarke
Liah Dinsmore
Marwa Alakozay
Michelle Constantine
Ramsha Asif
Sarah Serajehali
Thomas Berry
43. Jane & Finch Community Meet ‘N’ Greet
Hosted at Driftwood Community Centre
44. We created this event to provide the residents of the Jane and Finch
community with a fun and informative event that allows the population to
socialize/mingle, enjoy the food, and find out more about resources
they may or may not realize they have in their community.
At our event we gained valuable information about Employment Rights
and more from the Worker’s Action Centre as well as Employment
Counselling and more from Jewish Vocational Services.
45. Some of the Vital Signs S.E.E.D addressed:
Work, Leadership, Civic Engagement & Belonging.
46. Our project is important because …
*we were able to facilitate an opportunity where speakers offered a
wealth of knowledge on workplace rights and free employment
services available in the community. Workers can be easily be
exploited when they do no know their rights.
*Youth unemployment is on the rise and particularly youth from
Jane and Finch experience barriers to employment opportunities
because they are discriminated against on the basis of their race,
ethnicity and geographic location.
What we accomplished…
*Raising awareness on employment rights.
*Successfully and effectively accomplished the goals
we set out at the beginning.
47. We Learned…
*That it takes a community to effect change.
*Its hard work.
*That there is so much more work that needs to be done and each
and everyone of us has a role to play.
*Social justice and change does not happen immediately; it‟s a
working progress. For example, the Workers Action Centre
protest for minimum wage increase on the 14th of every month.
52. What Issues from Toronto Vital Signs Did Your
Project Address?
• Health & Wellness
• Philanthropy
53. Why was Your Project Important?
• Raising money for Firgrove, an organization
that is run by the Firgrove community
residents offers programs such as after
school children’s activities, food bank and
youth employment support.
• Bringing people together in a fun event
What did you Accomplish?
• We ran a very successful basketball
tournament and people had fun
• We raised money for Firgrove
• We worked together and collaborated with
the students and staff at Emery
54. What Did Your Pod Learn about Social Justice & Change?
People in the J/F community are treated differently than other neighbourhoods
just because it is known as a black community, one example is things that
happen at York like sexual assaults, they happen sometimes more at other
places but you never hear about it because other places are “white
communities” and York is in a “black community”.
It is learning more about the diversity our pod and NOISE has and the friendship
gained in the making of our event.
Trying to create change is a slow process.
Social justice is something we should all fight for as
a way to create a more equitable society.
55.
56. D.R.E.A.M
Design Recreate Empower And Motivate
Sandra, Maria, Antonio, Camille, Leneque, Alia, Mubashira,
Richard,Randy, Nathan, Gabriela, Kirtan, Terry, Sarah
58. Our project aimed to benefit women and children who
lacked services and resources in the
Jane/Finch community.
We held two candy
sales to raise money.
We went shopping to purchase items
for our care packages and we put
them together.
We also volunteered at the women‟s shelter
and we did a workshop.
60. Our project is important because…
We are helping people of our community. We have
also become much more aware of the greater social
issues within our community.
What we accomplished…
We connected with and supported community
partners.
We created 100 care packages for women and
children in shelters!
61. Through this process we learned that…
*Regardless of the differences among our pod
members, we could work together cooperatively to
create positive change in the community.
*Through our actions we can work towards
achieving social justice and learned that even
a smile can go a long way.
62.
63. NOISE is Grateful for the Financial
Support Provided By…
Office of the Vice President Academic and Provost
School of Social Work, York University
Faculty of Graduate Studies, York University
Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
Toronto Community Foundations
64. Special Thank You
• Kids Up Front Toronto
• York University - TD Community
Engagement
• Promoting Education And Community Health
(PEACH)
• Alex Lovell, Data Manager at
East Metro Youth Services
• Tanya Shute, Seneca at York
• Faculty and Staff of York University’s
School of Social Work
• Teaching, Guidance & Administration
Teams at Humber Summit Middle School,
C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute,
Emery Collegiate Institute
NOISE Youth Fellows, BSW Fellows, BSW Interns, MSW GAs, PhD Students,
Seneca Social Service Worker Interns
Global-Local Community Engagement Committee
Especially the families of our NOISE Fellows!
65. http://noise.info.yorku.ca/
For More Information on NOISE
The New Opportunities for Innovative Student
Engagement (NOISE) Project
School of Social Work
Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies
S842 - Ross Building, York University
4700 Keele Street, Toronto
ON M3J 1P3
Follow NOISE:
NOISE Website: http://www.noise.info.yorku.ca
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/noiseforsocialchange
Twitter: http://twitter.com/noiseforchange
Tel: 416-736-2100 ext. 66329
Cell: 416-668-7946
Fax: 416-650-3861
Email: noise@yorku.ca
