Parent advocacy group launches first-ever Virtual Reality resource providing free drop in tutoring and highlighting Canadian Africentric curriculum.
Written by DM&C staff
TORONTO September 10, 2021 – Parents of Black Children (PoBC), a parent advocacy organization, has officially opened the Omo Africentric Virtual Campus. The customized learning platform is designed specifically for Black students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and is the first of its kind in Canada. Omo, which means “child” in the Yoruba language of West Africa, gives access to free virtual tutoring, educational tools, and other culturally relevant resources that engage today’s children.
“We’ve created a virtual space that not only meets our students where they are, but centralizes and uplifts Black students who may have become disengaged with the learning systems prior to and during the pandemic,” shares Kearie Daniel, Co-founder of PoBC and architect of the Africentric campus. “The pandemic has shown us all how online spaces are now part of our new normal so why shouldn’t Black students benefit by having a learning space that honours their needs?”
As part of the experience, students create computer avatars and can virtually access homework assistance by qualified tutors. The platform is funded through the federal Safe Return to School short term grant administered through the Ontario Ministry of Education. Parents of Black Children is hoping to sustain this initiative and is seeking support and sponsors from both the private and public sector.
“We hope others will see how Omo presents an opportunity to explore the intersections of education and technology, which can enhance learning for students,” says Claudette Rutherford, Co-Founder at PoBC. “ This educational environment speaks to their experiences while providing a comfortable space for Black students to interact, learn and see themselves in the curriculum.”
A key feature of the virtual platform is ‘The Marcus Garvey Tower of Heroes’, a curated space dedicated to highlighting the contributions of African-Canadian trailblazers. Students can find out more about living ‘heroes’ who are making their mark in a variety of fields such as politics, STEM, education, sports, and the arts. Dr. Eugenia Duodu Addy (scientist), Dwight Drummond (broadcast journalist), The Honourable Jean Augustine (former politician and teacher), Maestro Fresh Wes (musician and actor), and Dr. Carl James (professor) are among the prominent people featured in the tower.
Video by Adam Power
The legacy of departed Black Canadians will also be honoured in the campus. As a tribute, one of the campus buildings is named after Kola Iluyomade. He was a parent advocate who helped spark the transformation of the Peel District School Board.
The campus welcomed its first students at ‘The O’ on Thursday September 9, 2021 and will continue to serve students until April 2022. Parents and guardians can register their child at www.parentsofblackchildren.org/campus.
About Parents of Black Children
Parents of Black Children (PoBC) is an advocacy group formed to support and advocate on behalf of Black students and their parents.
They are working to address and dismantle anti-Black racism and systemic barriers within the education and adjacent systems, with the goal to ensure that Black children are able to access an equitable and peaceful education.
PoBC is also a safe and supportive place for parents and Black students to share their experiences and issues within the school system as well as develop strategies and recommendations to improve the experience of Black students within schools.
For more information contact:
Natassia Morris | info@dayo.ca | (647) 901-5457.
