Lord Dufferin Public School, as part of the Black Student Success and Excellence initiative, has focused on student engagement, belonging and Black joy to reinforce positive 2SLGBTQ+ and Black identities.
The school’s Black Student Alliance has been integral to many activities and initiatives at the school. Notably, there was a partnership between the Black Student Alliance and the Blackhurst Cultural Centre. Through this partnership they brought in master drummer Amara Kante to work with the BSA, students, and classes so the whole school could participate in drumming learning experiences. After learning to drum, Lord Dufferin PS students had a featured performance at the 2024 Panfest Vybz, they performed at the Palmerston Library for the Blackhurst Showcase as well as the school-based Spring Showcase. Additionally, through Dance Immersion’s 30-Year Anniversary Celebration, students took a drumming workshop with Bemba, a master drummer from Guinea.
The school also partnered with CAFCAN to develop the students’ sense of identity, belonging and well-being. CAFCAN provided 10 sessions for Black students that addressed gender-based experiences, called Lift as we Rise. At the end, selected students represented Lord Dufferin at the CAFCAN 3rd Annual Conference called Indaba. Furthermore, student facilitators have taken on leadership roles as they planned and led the African Heritage Month and the Chinese Heritage Month assemblies. Students were also integral in planning the events for the month.
In addition to the above experiences, staff and students at Lord Dufferin Public School led the board-wide Black Student Alliance Showcase in partnership with the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement. Kindergarten, Grade 3 and 6 classes engaged in a collaborative Afrofuturism project with the non-profit organization I-Think. I-Think is an education charity that specializes in equipping young people to be real world problem solvers with the skills to drive change.
Lord Dufferin PS also has an ongoing mural project with Danilo Deluxo McCallum, who is an award-winning Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer, muralist and cultural creator. The mural design is at the entry to the school. The design is about the legacy of the community surrounded by land-based beautification and includes Indigenous representation as well as Tamil and other communities that reside in Regent Park.
Inquiry Question: How can we build positive 2SLGBTQ+/Black student engagement which will lead to academic achievement in the classroom and school community using a trauma informed lens while centering Black joy?