Latinx Mentorship Program

In November 2019, the Sankofa program began a partnership with Teach2Learn to collaborate in the Latinx Mentorship Program.

The program, which has been serving youth for over 10 years, focuses on helping Latin American newcomer youth to settle in Canada as well as promoting the recovery of cultural identity for Canadian-born youth of Latin American background. The workshops are facilitated in English and in Spanish, and there are always volunteer mentors more than happy to translate.

The programs are laid out in such a way so that youth will have the opportunity to create meaningful bonds and relationships with their peers and the coordinators, while also learning valuable skills from facilitators. The facilitators often are members of the community who have overcome multiple barriers to achieve success in diverse areas and can relate to the participants’ experiences.

The program is a safe space for newcomer youth to practice their English skills, as well as for Canadian youth to practice their Spanish. It is the perfect space to make friends, practice your language skills, learn, and feel you belong!

The program runs two days per week. On Mondays, it takes place at Casa Maiz Cultural Centre (1280 Finch Ave W), from 5-7 pm; on Tuesdays, it is hosted at the Centre for Spanish-Speaking Peoples (2141 Jane St.), from 5-7 pm.

Every week the participants are presented with different dynamic and engaging workshops related to themes relevant for the participants. The program focuses on character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, art and cultural experiences. Previous workshops include goal setting, financial literacy, public speaking, team building, finding your passion, among others.

This program is accessible to everyone. We provide participants with snacks and public transit tickets or tokens. In addition, the participants receive community hours for attending the workshops and can obtain recommendation letters for their commitment and assistance in the program.

If you would like to join the program or receive more information, please do not hesitate to contact Juan at jpoveda@culturelink.ca. You can also follow the CultureLink Children & Youth Centre on Instagram to stay on the loop of upcoming trips and programs!