Now Enrolling — March to June 2026
Anchor Canada · Est. 2003

BSA
Café

Black Student Alliance

A safe, affirming afterschool space for Black-identifying students in Grades 9–12 across Vaughan. Weekly sessions grounded in identity, community, and purpose.

Register Now → Learn More
20+
Years Serving the Black Community
4
Partner Schools in Vaughan
1hr
Per Week, After School
0$
Completely Free for All
Who We Are

Built by Community,
for Community

Anchor Canada is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 to serve the Black community.

Over 20+ years we have partnered with community organizations, corporations, and all levels of government to provide support for students and families across Ontario.

BSA Café was created in direct response to the need for students to be more actively engaged in future pathways while receiving mentorship and life skills coaching from professionals and community leaders.

🎓Academic Support & Future Planning
💰Financial Literacy & Money Management
🏗Career Ladder & Non-Traditional Pathways
🌍Diaspora Dialogues & Cultural Affirmation
🧠Leadership Development & Emotional Intelligence
The First 4 Weeks

Each Week Builds on the Last

Grounding students in identity, community, and purpose from day one. Every session builds on the previous — attendance each week matters.

Week 01
Who Am I?
Students explore identity, cultural roots, and personal values — a foundation-setting session built on honest self-reflection and community introductions.
Week 02
Where Do I Come From?
Diaspora dialogues and African/Caribbean history. Students connect with shared heritage and understand the power of knowing where you come from.
Week 03
Where Am I Going?
Future pathways, post-secondary planning, and career exploration — trades, tech, health sciences, and entrepreneurship all on the table.
Week 04
How Do I Get There?
Financial literacy, goal-setting, and leadership development. Students leave with tools, resources, and a personal roadmap for the journey ahead.
🎁

Each week students will have an opportunity to win prizes and giveaways. At the end of the program, students receive a formal letter from Anchor for community hours. First 15 participants each session receive snacks.

Africentric Learning Principles

The Values We Live By

Our curriculum is rooted in African-centered philosophy — principles that have guided communities for generations.

Sankofa Bird
Sankofa
Akan · "Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi"
It is not wrong to go back and fetch what you forgot. Looking to the past to move forward — reclaiming history, culture, and identity as sources of strength.
🤚🏿
Ujima
Swahili · Collective Work & Responsibility
Building and maintaining our community together — making our brothers' and sisters' problems our own and solving them collectively.
🤝🏿
Ubuntu
Nguni · "I am because we are"
Our humanity is shared. We grow, succeed, and heal through our connection, care, and responsibility to one another. Individual success is tied to community well-being.
Our Partner Schools

4 Schools, One Community

BSA Café runs at four schools across Vaughan, bringing affirming afterschool programming directly to students in their neighbourhoods.

🏫

Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School

Tuesdays · Dufferin-Clarke Community Centre, Room #4

🏫

Woodbridge College

Mondays 4:00–5:00 PM · Woodbridge Memorial Arena (5020 Hwy 7)

🏫

Emily Carr Secondary School

Mondays 3:00–4:00 PM · Al Palladini Community Centre (9201 Islington Ave.)

🏫

Tommy Douglas Secondary School

Mondays 3:15–4:15 PM · Vellore Woods Community Centre (1 Villa Royale Ave., Woodbridge)

🎓

Students who complete the program receive a certificate from their Member of Provincial Parliament and a letter of completion from Anchor Canada.

Meet Your Facilitator

Led by Community

A dedicated team of community leaders, educators, social workers, and entrepreneurs bringing culturally affirming, real-world experience into every session.

T
Hodan Nalayeh SS
Tishanna
📍 Dufferin-Clarke Community Centre, Room #4
Tuesdays 3:00–4:00 PM

BA in Sociology with a background in investigations and community safety. I support youth in pursuing meaningful career pathways through resource-based guidance and fostering awareness of opportunities for personal and professional development.

Athletics & FitnessYouth MentorshipCareer CoachingFinancial Literacy
D
Woodbridge College
Derrick
📍 Woodbridge Memorial Arena (5020 Hwy 7)
Mondays 4:00–5:00 PM

My background spans music, the arts, and newcomer & refugee settlement. I bring a deep passion for mental health, social inclusion, culture, and African history into every session.

Music & ArtsMental HealthAfrican HistorySocial Inclusion
C
Emily Carr Secondary School
Celeste
📍 Al Palladini Community Centre (9201 Islington Ave.)
Mondays 3:00–4:00 PM

Expertise across business, technology, mindfulness, and fitness — with a genuine love for helping young people discover who they are and what they're capable of.

BusinessTechnologyFitnessMindfulnessPhotography
S
Tommy Douglas Secondary School
Shem
📍 Vellore Woods Community Centre (1 Villa Royale Ave.)
Mondays 3:15–4:15 PM

My background spans entrepreneurship, business, science and technology, the arts, sports, fitness, nutrition, culture, and music. I bring all of it into every session.

EntrepreneurshipBusinessScience & TechSports & FitnessMusic & Arts
Ready to Join?

Registration is Free

Sign up in under 2 minutes and our team will confirm your spot. Open to Black-identifying students in Grades 9–12 across Vaughan.

Completely free
Snacks provided
Community hours letter
Prizes & giveaways
Register Now →

Parent/guardian permission form required · See forms section below

Program Documents

Forms & Code of Conduct

Parent permission is required for all participants. Please review the Code of Conduct with your student before signing.

Parent/Guardian Permission & Liability Form

BSA CAFÉ PROGRAM 2026 — PARENT/GUARDIAN PERMISSION & LIABILITY FORM

Program Consent

I, the undersigned parent/guardian, give permission for my child to participate in the BSA Café, an afterschool program led by Anchor Canada, taking place once per week from 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., January – June 2026.

Liability & Responsibility

  • My child's participation is voluntary.
  • Anchor Canada and its facilitators will take reasonable steps to ensure a safe and supportive environment.
  • I assume full responsibility for my child's conduct and behaviour while participating, including travel to and from program locations.
  • I release and hold harmless Anchor Canada, its staff, volunteers, facilitators, and partners from liability for injuries or incidents arising from participation.
Photography & Program Documentation (Optional)
Anonymous Data Collection (Optional)

Survey feedback is collected as part of a program evaluation process. Data will be anonymous, stored securely, and used only in aggregate form.

Parent/Guardian Signature
Alternate Emergency Contact

Questions? (647) 513-2465 · [email protected]