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Rogers Supports YMCA of Greater Toronto to Expand Black Achievers Mentorship Program 

Feb 1, 2025

It’s Black History Month and we are proud to recognize and celebrate the recent expansion of the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s Black Achievers Mentorship Program, with support from Rogers Youth Grants. Rogers Youth Grants are about removing barriers and empowering youth to build a stronger Canada.  

First launched in 2021 in Scarborough to connect Black youth ages 14-19 with Black mentors and role models from their community who share similar experiences, the program is now available in Brampton and Etobicoke. 

YMCAs across Canada were recently named as one of four national 2024 Rogers Youth Grants partners, receiving $450,000 combined cash and in-kind media to support educational and employment programming. The Rogers Youth Grants program will support over 100,000 youth across Canada annually, including through the Black Achievers Mentorship program.  

“We’re grateful for the longstanding support for the YMCA Black Achievers Mentorship Program by leading donors including Rogers which has been there from the start. Four years later – thanks to donors like Rogers and Black mentors who inspire and support youth – we’ve expanded the program from Scarborough to Etobicoke and Brampton. Together, we’re making a direct and tangible difference in the lives of Black high school students.”  – Lesley Davidson, President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Toronto 

Mentees in the YMCA Black Achievers Mentorship Program recently collected donations, winter clothing and other items for unhoused youth at The Wagner Green YMCA emergency shelter. They are pictured with YMCA shelter employees and Black Achievers program staff. 

The YMCA program was designed to help remove barriers for Black youth and help them see attainable possibilities following high school. Mentees connect with their mentors for:  

  • Exposure to workplaces and post-secondary campuses through visits and event participation; 
  • Life and interpersonal skills development including networking and exploring different pathways to careers; and 
  • A welcoming community of support from participating mentors and the YMCA of Greater Toronto. 

Rogers is proud to support this important program and make a meaningful impact in the lives of Black youth during Black History Month and throughout the year. Members of our Black Leadership Council, a Rogers employee resource group, have been active mentors in the program since it launched.  

Rogers employees Mureth Rhone and Sharon Hinds volunteer with the YMCA Black Achievers Mentorship program in Toronto.   

Please visit the Black Achievers Mentorship Program website to learn more about the program, including signing up as a mentor or mentee, or to support the Y’s student scholarship drive.  

Please visit the Rogers Youth Grants website to learn more about the program.