Making Change Quarterly is here.

See what changes are happening now!

Hello from all of us at Making Change! We’re excited to share an update on our activities since we last connected with you. Over the past two years, we’ve been busy growing our organization's impact by expanding our reach and capacity. With a specific focus on issues around anti-Black racism, we’ve been actively engaging youth, community and organizations.

Through workshops and projects we’ve been encouraging their learning journeys towards community inclusion. It’s thanks to the ongoing support of our community partners, collaborators, donors, sponsors and volunteers that we are making an impact in our community.

Read on to learn more about how we’ve been making change and how you can help us fulfil our mission - to spark conversations and discussions around inclusion and diversity.

Sincerely,

Michèle Newton, Chair & Co-founder

Making Change has been growing: Check out what's new

This year we have added to our team with a new Program Director, Laura LaChapelle; who brings an energy for collaboration and team spirit. We also have a new Board member; Keisha-Ann Shaw Hill who brings her passion, expertise and commitment to community service. We welcome them both to our Making Change team.

Making Change in Our Community

We participated with Barrie's Kempenfest Festival on August 1st, Emancipation Day, where we hosted Carnival Spice who provided engaging, crowd pleasing "edutainment".

Click here to see our community events

Our Diversity Tapestry, an interactive collective art piece, is making its way through our communities showcasing the colour that is all around us in our natural skin. We have begun travelling to events and encouraging people to add their handprint in solidarity to this inclusive community tapestry.

Making Change With Our Youth

We created the highly successful Art Engagement Project thanks to funding from the TD Ready Commitment Partnership - Changing the Narrative Through the Arts. Our Making Change presenters and Black artist mentors worked with a total of 10 classes from Simcoe County District School Board and another 18 classes from Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board. Youth in these classes got a chance to express their feelings about diversity, inclusion and anti-racism through forms of art, such as visual, dramatic, music and dance. Below is a group photo from a grade 5/6 class at Worsley Elementary School in Wasaga Beach.

Click here to catch up on the art created over the 2021/22 school year

The Zoom Effect

Zoom has been the go-to this past year when it comes to effective and personal group communication. Our presenters have made use of this technology to continue providing educational sessions and community presentations. In partnership with Alectra Utilities we worked with local libraries in several towns and cities to host “If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes” - a look at how individuals can become allies and do self-work around anti-Black racism.

Click here to find out about our education presentations available

Making Change in the News

Catch us getting the conversation started and sharing our message in the news, it’s time for us to make bold statements and get everyone talking about diversity & inclusion. Our Program Director, Laura LaChapelle, Board Directors, Alasoba, Kelsey-Braide & Michèle Newton and an art mentor Sean George have all made the news over the past year. Follow us on social media to keep up to date on what we are doing and how we are getting involved in the community.

Find our articles here

Making Change With Your Donation

Now is the time to join in our mission in raising awareness in our communities, in our schools and in our homes; one voice at a time. Donations are greatly appreciated to support projects we are doing in Simcoe County. Your generosity can make a difference in making our communities more inclusive when it comes to anti-Black racism.

Click here to make a donation

In our next quarterly watch for our plans for Black History Month in our communities and the #ITSTARTS Campaign 2023 for March

Making Change became a Community Champion for the #ITSTARTS campaign this year. This public awareness initiative over the month of March asks us to share a message of diversity & inclusion. For more information about this annual campaign click on the link below.

Find out how "it starts" with you

MAKING CHANGE

P.O. Box 23042

Barrie, ON L4N 7W8