Students, families and community members gathered at Middlefield Collegiate Institute to celebrate Black History Month through a hands-on event focused on STEM learning and the contributions of Black scientists and innovators.
The event was one of four Black History Month celebrations being held across the York Region District School Board this month, bringing families together for evenings of learning, connection and celebration.
Designed for students of all ages, the evening featured interactive activities including coding workshops facilitated by Black women engineering students from Ontario Tech University, and ice cream–making using everyday household materials with learning connected to Black innovators. Community partners and youth organizations were also on hand to share resources and connect with families.
“We had two activities today. We had coding and ice cream making,” said Cassandra, a Grade 10 student at Middlefield CI. “It shines a light on Black people who have done so much for us, and whose inventions or things they’ve done impact our everyday lives. It shows younger kids - younger Black kids - that they too can be something great in life.”
For many families, the event offered opportunities to learn together.
“The coding was very new for me. I hadn’t done it before. My son helped me along with it. It was very useful,” said Kesiha, a parent. “I would encourage parents of Black students to join programs like these. It’s very informative; it’s good to come together, and it’s a community.”
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