It takes a village…
Many of us are familiar with the African proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child.” The truth is, it “takes a village” to achieve just about any meaningful change in our world—from fighting a pandemic to uniting for climate change.
Imagine what would be possible if every child, in every village was given access to the same resources, the same knowledge, the same training?
We believe that meaningful change can happen when we invest in our ‘villages’ so that all children can be healthy, confident, strong and successful.
…to make a spark.
We are proud to be sponsoring those purpose-driven organizations that are engaging their communities and making meaningful change. They are the change-makers that are lighting the way for us to follow.
By giving back to those nonprofit organizations that do so much to support the communities that we are a part of - we hope we can help light a spark in one person. A spark that can inspire change, transform a community, and maybe even change the world.
Here are some of the organizations that our Blackspark employees have championed:
Sky’s The Limit Youth Organization
SickKids Foundation
Cornerstone Housing for Women (Ottawa)
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada
The Terry Fox Foundation
Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada
Movember
Easter Seals Ontario
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
Music For Every Child
Canadian Red Cross
Rescue 1 at a Time Animal Rescue
Change-maker spotlight
BLACKSPARK CHAMPIONS
Sky’s The Limit Youth Organization
Sky’s the Limit (STL) is a Registered Canadian Charity that provides laptops to the youth who need them.
Their vision is to ensure that every youth in the GTA who needs a laptop has one and has access to technology and training.
STL provides refurbished laptops to youth and have place 4,819 computers to date. Through community partners, STL is able to identify recipients and provide the hardware for these students to take home, while partners offer STEM and Technology programming education to expand and heighten knowledge and skills.
In the past, STL has led technology camps for youth in Rexdale, Regent Park, Scarborough, and Newmarket. In the future, they will continue to work with their partners to offer and support camps, workshops, and programming in various aspects of technology including and not limited to: STEM, coding, employability, problem solving, program development, female identified and focused STEM, space and aeronautics, and more!
Currently, Sky’s The Limit is mobilizing to provide COVID-19 relief for youth in need.
With Ontario now learning online, getting laptops into the hands of the youth who need them in the GTA is more important than ever. STL is working hard to coordinate the demand and delivery of these laptops, and is calling on supporters - and believers in the power of technology to change lives - to answer this call to action.
Now is the time to give if you are able. Monetary donations go towards refurbishing laptops - or - if you have a laptop you aren’t using anymore lying around, you can contact STL to see if it works as a donation and they’ll arrange a contactless porch pick up.
For more information about Sky’s the Limit Youth Organization:
And by the way…
Lara Tavares, the founder of Sky’s the Limit Youth Organization, created STL in 2003 to offer a solution to the Digital Divide in Canada. Lara is a change-maker who envisions a new world that values love, justice and truth. With over 30 years of experience in creating positive social impact, she addresses the issues that affect young people, thereby fostering and supporting change. Lara advocates for and supports individual activists as well as organizations and has earned a reputation as a thoughtful leader and a trusted ally.
And Blackspark CEO, Ray Tavares is lucky enough to call her, sis.
About the photo:
STL recently dropped off 20 laptops to their Community Partner, Rexdale Community Hub. These laptops went to families within the community affected by COVID-19 in need of the proper technology for online education, job applications, and being able to maintain social connections with family and friends.
About the photo:
Sky’s the Limit first started working with @her_volution in 2016. The graduates of one of their first ‘Empowering Women Through STEM’ programs all received a laptop from STL. Since then, Sky’s the Limit has worked with over 75 female youth members!