Montreal initiative aims to help Black youth find path to success
Global News
Flex to Launch is a Montreal pilot project to help young Black men find their path, while addressing the gaps often found in the education and career development of Black youth.
A team of researchers and educators is about to launch a pilot project meant to help young Black men succeed.
It’s called Flex to Launch and the goal is to help those at risk find their path while addressing the gaps often found in the education and career development of Black youth.
It is targeting Black youth aged 18 – 25 because, according to lead researcher Dr. Robert Edward Whitley, associate professor in McGill university’s department of psychiatry, they tend to fall into the NEET category.
“NEET is an academic word that means ‘not in education, employment and training,'” he explained. “We do know that young Black men tend to be overrepresented in that category.”
The program starts in January.
It’ll be a series of 12 weekly 90-minute seminars in which the candidates will learn life skills geared to help them succeed, the kind of support those leading the project say many young Black men in Canada have trouble getting elsewhere.
“Some of our young Black men are ending up in youth protection and for others, the families are having difficulty,” said Valerie Gordon, a former teacher now part of the three-person team leading the project.
She says there are a number of reasons this segment of the population is at risk.
