ONABSE Updates

September 8, 2026

The Black Flourishing in Education Project Launch

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2026

ONABSE is pleased to launch our Black Flourishing in Education Project!

This project aims to amplify knowledge and improve access to resources for Black education professionals and students across the province on addressing anti-Black racism, and improving our health and well-being while participating in the education system.

We will also be introducing the BFIE Project Advisory Circle, which is an integral body made up of community members and organizations who will collaborate in order to bring this project to life.

We're grateful that this project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

Join us on September 14 at 7 PM by registering using the link below.

ONABSE MEMBER ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Membership means involvement, engagement, and opportunities!

We're looking for new members to join the following committees:

• event planning
• fundraising

Please visit and sign in to the ONABSE website by clicking the link below and ensuring your membership and contact details are up to date.

Ensure your:

• current full name is attached to your profile
• your personal, non-work email address is attached
• your membership is paid and up to date (lifetime members also need to ensure they have access to our website)

Once you've verified your membership, send us an email at membership@onabse.org to join a committee. Meeting dates will be emailed to you.

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND UPDATES

Join Parents of Black Children's Free

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Workshop

When: September 10, 2026 @ 6 PM

Participants will explore the rights of students and families within Ontario’s education system and learn practical strategies for working with schools and school boards.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• How to understand your child’s rights

• How to advocate during school meetings

• How to navigate concerns with schools and school boards

• How to access helpful resources created for Black parents and families

Join Arts & Culture Jamaica for their FREE Book and Art Showcase This Saturday!

When: September 12, 2026 from 11 AM - 5 PM

Hear from renowned and upcoming Jamaican authors, artists and artisans and spend a day immersed in Jamaican art.

Visit their website for more details.

Calling All Parents, Youth and Community Members!

Registration is now open for The Reading Partnership's for Black Parents

Reading Partnership for Black Parents creates a safe space for Black families to come together and learn evidence-based reading strategies using the same engaging format as our Reading Partnership for Parents program.

Register Here

Join ONABSE and Harmony Movement

What Works: Promising Practices for Black Student Success & Educator Well-Being Webinar

Join us for a free virtual event on September 24, 2026 at 7 PM spotlighting promising practices from across Canada and the United States that are improving student achievement, strengthening belonging, supporting educator well-being, and creating more affirming school communities.

MEMBER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY

A PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto is searching for participants for a study entitled:  “Transformative Justice in Schools: Re-imagining Nonpunitive Responses to Behavioural Needs of Racialized Students”.

For details on how you can participate as an ONABSE member, email membership@onabse.org.

COMING THIS FALL

What is shaping principals’ well-being at work?

Our Principal Barometer Study surveyed 816 principals, including 602 in Ontario, about their working conditions, work attitudes and health and well-being.

The findings provide insight into factors that support principals in their work and the challenges they face in increasingly demanding work environments.

This fall, we’ll release a series of reports exploring the findings. Stay tuned for more details.

ONABSE is a member-driven organization. We are 100% volunteer-led and run. Now more than ever, we need a strong membership base to continue the work that we do.

We can't do it without you!

If you are an individual who is:

• 18 years old or older
• An active or retired Black education professional at ANY level (classroom-based or system-wide)
• A Child and Youth Worker, ECE, DECE, or other school-based education professional
• A Black student in an Ontario-based secondary or post-secondary institution
• A parent or guardian of Black youth
• An ally who endorses the goals and missions of ONABSE
• A resident of Ontario

OR if you are:

• A small business or non-profit organization with members who endorse and align with the goals and missions of ONABSE
• A larger organization with members who endorse and align with the goals and missions of ONABSE

What are you waiting for? Join us today!

ANNUAL Individual membership: $50 plus HST

ANNUAL Student membership: $25 plus HST

ANNUAL Friend of ONABSE membership: $150 plus HST for small organizations and $300 plus HST for larger organizations

Membership not for you? Consider donating to us. Every dollar is reinvested into community work.

Thank you!