ACHA TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

Technology Committee
Lindis Collins-Bacchus
Francis Jeffers
Louis March
Wallace Pitt
Erica Thomas
Nzinga Walker
Aisha Wickham

ACHA Online:A Content Development Project to Bring African Canadian Heritage Programming to the Web

1.Introduction and Overview

Finance Minister Paul Martin

2. Background on the African Canadian Heritage Association

3. The Issues

Education about the Opportunities in Science and Technology

Demystifying the Word "Technology"

4. Economic Development Benefits to
the City of Toronto

5. Partnerships

6. Timelines

1. Introduction and Overview

The African Canadian Heritage Association proposes to implement a project that will increase the level of education and awareness of African Canadian youth about the opportunities that science and technology present to them in the new information economy.

Technology applications are completely changing the way we live and work, and those who fail to convert to a knowledge-based economy will fall behind. The result of this will be a lack of productivity. A technology-literate society is an economically productive society. Those who understand and appreciate science and technology will be well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities of the new economy.

Federal Finance Minister Paul Martin stated in his Budget Speech of February 28, 2000:

"Today, the strength of a nation is measured not by the weapons it wields, but by the patents it produces; not by the territory it controls, but by the ideas it advances; not only by the wealth of its resources, but by the resourcefulness of its people. In such a world, successful nations will only be those that foster a culture of innovation. Our goal must be to inspire a spirit of entrepreneurship, one that asks our people to reach higher and look further, one that encourages us to see the world as our market, but Canada as the place to live. As a country, we are well placed – far better than most – to seize the opportunities of the 21st century."top

- Finance Minister Paul Martin

In order to rise to the challenge of promoting science and technology as broadly as possible, the ACHA has formed a strategic partnership with several key stakeholders in Toronto’s science and technology communities. The main objectives of our initiative, entitled ACHA Online, are to:

1. Raise awareness among the African Canadian community about science and technology (through the development of a brand identity program and an awareness campaign in which key messaging would be distributed through various media such as brochures, a regularly maintained Web site, public service announcements on community radio stations);

2. Encourage and promote the importance of African Canadian youth developing both the technical skills and broader business management skills to compete in the new digital economy; and

3. Celebrate the accomplishments of African Canadian role models in the science and technology communities.top

2. Background on the African Canadian Heritage Association

The mission of the ACHA is to:

- present an opportunity for children to learn about their heritage;

- instill pride, self-worth and a commitment to excellence;

- encourage commitment to educational achievement, science and technology, social awareness and community development;

- provide a stable and secure environment for the growth of our youth; and

- provide a meeting place for youth and adults for camaraderie and fun.

The African Canadian Heritage Association is an incorporated non-profit community organization that operates a curriculum-based heritage program for families with children from 2-16 years of age. The program operates out of Harbourfront Community Centre (located at Bathurst Street and Queen’s Quay West) each Saturday throughout the school year from noon – 4 p.m. The children are taught about the history and heritage of African people in Canada, Africa and the Diaspora. They learn this through the media of creative arts, classroom instruction and other real life applications. top

3. The Issues

There are a number of indicators that have resulted in a lack of African Canadians entering the science and technology fields. While statistics are lacking on the make-up of Black students in science and technology-related post-secondary programs, and the number of Blacks currently in technology related careers, mere observation leads one to conclude that there is a scarcity of African Canadians in these burgeoning industries. There remains a stigma attached to science and technology that is preventing Blacks from utilizing technology, and from entering science and technology-related careers.

The awareness aspect of the ACHA Online initiative will be built on some of the principles of the U.S.-based Black Family Technology Awareness Week (held this year from February 13-19). Black Family Technology Awareness Week, which is supported by many private sector companies, is focused on advocating for the increased technological development within the Black community. This advocacy is accomplished by:

i) educating Black youth about the opportunities that exist in science and technology;

ii) demystifying the word "technology"; and

iii) celebrating positive role models within the Black community who have succeeded in science and technology careers.top

Education about the Opportunities in Science and Technology

Information technology is one of the City of Toronto’s identified key economic clusters. The IT and telecommunications industries alone generate revenues of $38 billion annually in the Greater Toronto Area. There are approximately 155,000 people employed in these sectors. There has never been a better time for entry into this exciting industry.

As rapidly as the information technology industry is growing, however, it is also important to educate people about how science and technology permeate all aspects of our society. Awareness and education are the critical factors in ensuring that all of Toronto’s citizens participate in, and contribute to, our economy by utilizing the new tools of the information age for whatever career they may decide to pursue or whatever lifestyle they may choose to live.

ACHA will develop a Technology Club to deliver programming about technology to Black youth between the ages of 12-16. This Club will be operated out of the Harbourfront Community Centre (the current home of the ACHA) and will teach the youth about the opportunities in IT, new media, and e-commerce by delivering seminars and workshops. The result of the Technology Club will be an increased interest among Black youth to pursue careers and entrepreneurial opportunities in the exciting new fields of technology and new media. top

Demystifying the Word "Technology"

We must eliminate the fear that some people have about technology through education. A key aspect of this initiative will be to deliver the message of how important it is for all communities to access and utilize technology, and to demonstrate the value that technology can bring to all aspects of our lives.

In certain cases, limited financial resources is the cited as a reason for the lack of adoption of technology and computer hardware. The reality, however, is that technology is readily accessible to those who seek it. For example, reBOOT Canada is a non-profit charity that provides affordable refurbished computer hardware through its retail outlet on Queen Street West.

Celebrating Positive Role Models

There tends to be a certain stigma attached to the pursuit of science and technology careers. A major contributor to this factor is the lack of exposure of - and knowledge about - role models in the Black community who have excelled in science and technology-related careers. Successful leaders in science and technology must be visible and accessible. top

4. Economic Development Benefits to the City of Toronto

In a society in which Black history and culture is not central to a child’s school experience, programs like ACHA that deliver African heritage curricula are very important contributors to the positive self-esteem that is so important to a young person’s desire to pursue challenging opportunities later in life. The ACHA Online initiative will combine heritage programming with education and awareness about the power of science and technology.

The City of Toronto will benefit from this powerful combination because Black youth across Toronto will be encouraged to pursue careers in the rapidly growing fields of science and technology. This effort, in the long run, will lead to an increase in post-secondary enrollment and entrepreneurship among Black youth in Toronto.

One direct benefit of the ACHA Online initiative will be an increased understanding of e-commerce opportunities (the ACHA Technology Club will teach youth about e-commerce and new media). E-commerce is a new business model that is integral to Toronto’s continued leadership in finance, retail and manufacturing. A society that is sensitized to the importance of e-commerce to our overall economy will contribute to enhanced levels of e-commerce activity, which will contribute to our city’s economic growth through the creation of new entrepreneurs and new jobs.

The main objective of this initiative is to ensure that no one is left out of this exciting new economy. Awareness and education will clearly result in an increase in the uptake of technology among Black youth and a noticeable improvement in their active participation in the new digital economy. top

5. Partnerships

ACHA has always been committed to developing partnerships with other like-minded organizations. We believe that partnerships enable us to more efficiently further the goals of ACHA and to help other groups with similar interests to meet the overall needs of the community.

The ACHA Online initiative will have the active participation of Visions of Science, a non-profit organization focused on the promotion of science and technology within the African Canadian community. ACHA will work closely with Visions of Science in the development of the brand identity and in the curriculum delivery of the Technology Club.

The ACHA Online initiative is committed to addressing the lack of market research with respect to Blacks and technology in Toronto and area. ACHA has already commenced a major research initiative, entitled "Celebrating Thirty Years of African Heritage Programming in the Greater Toronto Area" with funding support from the Trillium Foundation, who we also consider to be a key partner in the ACHA Online initiative. ACHA received a $25,000.00 Trillium Foundation Community Grant to will research the impact ACHA has had on past participants, and will examine the best practices of other community-based programs that offer Black cultural and heritage programming. "Celebrating Thirty Years of African Heritage Programming in the Greater Toronto Area" will culminate in a symposium involving other programs in Toronto to investigate the strengths, weaknesses, relevance and future directions of African Heritage programming. The results of the research conducted in this initiative will be used in the creation of the ACHA Online presence.

Funding for the ACHA Online initiative will enable us to build on the research effort from the "Celebrating Thirty Years of African Heritage Programming in the Greater Toronto Area" project and conduct market research that will:

i) Examine the systemic obstacles that Blacks face with respect to technology access and usage;

ii) Review existing initiatives and programs within the Black community in Toronto, and analyze the science and technology components of those programs; and

iii) Outline the gaps that are evident amongst existing initiatives, and to propose potential partnerships among like-minded organizations.

ACHA is currently pursuing other partners within the private sector who will contribute cash or in-kind dollars towards the ACHA Online initiative. Several private sector partners have stated their interest in participating in this important initiative. The EDSIP funding will better position us to solidify those partnerships. top

6. Timelines

The proposed activities for Year One of the ACHA Online initiative are to:

i) Develop a brand identity for the initiative (including a logo, tag line and key messaging), such that a promotional campaign may take place to promote the use of science and technology in Toronto’s Black community.

ii) Conduct a thorough environmental scan of similar organizations within Toronto and area;

iii) Host a reception and official launch of the ACHA Online Initiative;

iv) Develop a Technology Club to be located at the Harbourfront Community Centre under the umbrella of ACHA; and

v) Develop a plan for next steps.

We anticipate that it will take the first year of EDSIP support to build the ACHA Online initiative as described above. Year Two of EDSIP support will enable us to build on the momentum gained from the launch of the brand identity program and awareness campaign in that will take place in Year One.

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