voices from the street - frontier college
TRANSCRIPT
VOICES FROM THESTREET
W H A T ' S I N S I D E
Reflection on Online Learning
Opinion Piece : Smoking
Student Success Stories
Upcoming Workshops
Brandon Yamashita – transitioned to George Brown College – Hospitality Diploma Program
Patrick Henriquez – transitioned to George Brown College – Social Service Worker Program
Mocha Gilman – transitioned into sustainable Employment
Benjamin Blaker – attained GED certificate and is transitioning into IT
Welcome to the FEBRUARY issue of Beat the Street’s Newsletter!
Voices from the Street focuses on the youth and for the youth. This is a student supported
newsletter.
This edition focuses on Successes. The word “success” keeps popping up in our lives, in our work,
in our communities, in our families, in our society and globally. What does it mean to be
successful? What does success look like? How do we define success? Each one of us has our own
view of what success means and what it looks like.
Beat the Street is proud to recognize the students who “reaped the fruits of their labour” through
doing the work, showing up, and never forgetting why they came to Beat the Street? The
following students happily transitioned onto another part of their life’s journey from September
2021-February 2022.
Congratulations and Best Wishes from the staff and volunteers at Beat the Street to:
We recognize their dedication, commitment and positive attitude towards their learning.
I would also like to recognize and thank the volunteer tutors Brian Keith, Lee Giles, and MarianMagrane for dedicating their time and supporting the above students.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 • I S S U E 2 • B E A T T H E S T R E E T
Note from the coordinator
Rosita Bacchus
Student Art work from “Literacy Outside the Box” (2011)
I met my student on October 23rd , 2019 and was fortunate to work with him each
week until the March 2020 lockdown of Frontier College .
During the following months , my student and I have supported each other , as a team ,
adapting to the challenges of online learning by cell phone video calls , and the Zoom
platform .
While we have covered countless topics , from essay writing to sketching , my most
rewarding experience has been discovering my student 's talent in writing poetry ,
something he had never attempted before .
We were both overjoyed to find that his poem , Dolphin , had been published in Beat
the Street 's first edition newsletter , Voices from the Street .
Throughout this time we have had unwavering support and encouragement from
Rosita , our Literacy and Basic Skills Program Coordinator of Beat the Street .
Although a virtual learning platform has been necessary , my student and I are looking
forward to our return to in-person classes at Frontier College .
FROM THE YOUTH, FOR THE YOUTH
FEBRUARY 2022 PAGE | 02
Online tutoring: Trust, Teamwork,Patience, plus a Sense of Humour are Key
By Pauline Mulder
S M O K I N G I S A B A D H A B I T
I have seen what smoking can do to a
person . My mother got lung cancer and
passed away two years later . Smoking
cigarettes is a messy and unhealthy
habit . The smoke from a cigarette smells
bad , it is a very addictive habit , and it
causes a lot of pollution .
Cigarette smoke has a very strong and
bad smell . The smell of the smoke can
really sink into your clothes . I remember
going to school , sometimes smelling like
cigarette smoke , and it was very
embarrassing . It can make your breath
smell bad . You can really smell the
cigarette smoke on someone ’s breath
after they had a smoke . The smell can
also cling to your home and furniture .
Cigarette smoke can even stain your
walls and ceiling .
BY ANONYMOUS BEAT THE STREET STUDENT
Physical Cigarette smoke is a very
addictive habit . My mom averaged over
a pack each day . After buying food and
paying bills , everything else went to
cigarettes . People continue to smoke
even though it ’s very bad for you
because it ’s very addicting . It ’s hard to
quit smoking . I watched my mom try to
quit smoking several times , but she just
couldn ’t shake the habit .
Cigarettes cause a lot of pollution . I
have seen people throw cigarette butts
in water drains , which could end up in
the ocean and affect marine life .
Discarded lit cigarettes can cause a fire .
When I was young someone threw a lit
cigarette in a garbage can and caused a
big fire . I have seen cigarette butts
littered all over the city .
Cigarettes are very additive , smell bad ,
and cause pollution to the environment .
That is why I decided to never start
smoking . It can cause a lot of health
problems and create a lot of waste to
clean up .
FROM THE YOUTH, FOR THE YOUTH
FEBRUARY 2022 PAGE | 03
Have an opinion piece you'd like tosubmit? Contact Rosita at
Patricia MacNeil worked at Beat the Street and the
Ambassador Partnership for several years until her death
on October 2 , 1998 . Pat encouraged each person to find
the inner strength to overcome personal difficulties and
move forward in life . She urged individuals to care for
themselves as well as others within their community . She
was committed to helping students become aware of
their own potential , and learn to focus their abilities in
the best possible way . This award is in her memory .
The Patricia MacNeil Memorial Award was presented to
Patrick Henriquez on December 1 , 2021 , Over the past
year 2020-2021 (year of COVID-19), Patrick worked hard in
these trying times to make positive changes in his life . In
my conversations with him , he always mentioned that he
wanted to help people and that he would be interested in
attending post-secondary education in the Social Service
Worker program . His dedication and commitment to his
studies as well as trying to have balance with his home
life was a personal journey . Patrick attained his initial
personal and education goals with the support of his
volunteer tutors Marian Magrane and Lee Giles .
Patrick was accepted into the Social Service Worker
Program at George Brown College and began his journey
in this program in September 2021 .
FROM THE YOUTH, FOR THE YOUTH
FEBRUARY 2022 PAGE | 04
B E A T T H E S T R E E T ’ S P A T R I C I A M A C N E I LA W A R D R E C I P I E N T F O R 2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1
Left to right – Rosita Bacchus, FrontierCollege Literacy & Basic Skills Program
Coordinator, Marian Magrane, volunteertutor, Mrs. Henriquez, Patrick’s mother,Patrick Henriquez, award recipient, and
Philip Cameira
“ I am so thankful for the support I receivedfrom the tutors, and staff from FrontierCollege. I couldn’t have done it without
them”
It is clear by the very nature of the Beat the Street Program that our learners are
presented with challenges beyond what most people encounter – financial
constraints , mental health concerns , substance abuse issues , belonging to
systemically marginalized populations . One of these barriers is often sufficient in
preventing a person from achieving their goals . Yet compound this by potentially
experiencing numerous obstacles? There is little need to point out the obvious by
stating that being in such spaces makes accomplishing the simplest of tasks near
impossible . Yet with the appropriate support , the spark that lies within a person can
be fueled into a raging fire of desire , determination , and drive that propels them out
of their circumstances and into a brighter world .
Benjamin is such a person . Born into an Indigenous community , within him lay the
vision that something more was possible . Over the course of his studies , pushed by
his Instructor , Benjamin discovered that the limits he had set himself within were
meant to be broken . He discovered strengths he didn ’t previously know he had – time
management skills , the ability to take comprehensive notes and the dedication to
reviewing them , and maintaining his composure during practice exams being among
them . His need to reworld himself , when supported by tutors , Program staff , and
community , enabled him to successfully complete all five of the General Education
Development (GED) exams , and therefore earn his Certificate . Moreover , to
accomplish this amid the additional stress and anxiety of a global pandemic is
nothing short of admirable .
This is one persons ’ journey . There are many more stories like theirs , some with
endings not nearly as happy . Yet this one story does end well and was it not for the
combination of Program support and individual grit and determination , that very
well may not have been the case .
FROM THE YOUTH, FOR THE YOUTH
FEBRUARY 2022 PAGE | 05
Highlighting Student Success: A Learner’sJourney to the GED
By Gideon Steinberg
In Benjamin’s Own WordsWhat did you learn in the Literacy and Basic Skills program?
Benjamin : Communicating better , meeting tutors and instructor,improving self-management skil ls – showing up on time, completing task.I feel confident about my skil ls and was able to do it with the supportthat I had in the program.
[I] Liked the one-to-one instruction and support from the instructor andvolunteer tutor. I would have struggled if there were a large group
FROM THE YOUTH, FOR THE YOUTH
FEBRUARY 2022 PAGE | 06
Learn all you need to know before theJune 2022 Provincial Election!
FREE ONLINE CIVICSWORKSHOP!
From May 5-26 2022 at 5pm
FREE CREATIVE WRITINGWORKSHOP
Improve your writing, editing &communication skills in a supportive
environment!
From March 23–April 13 2022 at 1pm
FROM THE YOUTH, FOR THE YOUTH
FEBRUARY 2022 PAGE | 07
Want More? Click Below!
How to Join Us
Discuss programming
Schedule a zoom interview
Complete an application and assessment
Start working towards your goals!
Please contactRosita Bacchus at [email protected] to
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Literacy Outside the Box BTS Showcase Podcast
Current Contributions for this issue
Thank you to Pauline Mulder for their essay"Online tutoring: Trust, Teamwork, Patience,
plus a Sense of Humour are Key"
and to Gideon Steinberg for their piece"Highlighting Student Success: A Learner’sJourney to the GED"
Stay tuned for our next
issue!