BASIC BACKGROUND
Lakehead Social Planning Council (LSPC) obtained funding from the Population and Public Health Branch of Health Canada, as part of a 6-project location consortium, co-ordinated through the Social Planning Network of Ontario. The project was funded in two phases, with the second phase from May 2003 to April 2004.

The project focussed on Social and Economic Inclusion, broadly defined, and the LSPC designed a local project centring on late adolescents (youth aged 16 - 19) who were either marginalized or excluded through a denial of access, and mainstream service provider agencies. This workshop, “Closing the Distance-Racism in the Schools“, was the final public face of the current phase of the project in Thunder Bay.

PROJECT HISTORY
The project had two consistent methods: community outreach and mobilization, with service providers, community groups, volunteers and coalitions, and agency networks; active engagement of marginalized youth, with a view to listening and believing their voices and stories. In the fall of 2002, the first set of community round tables and discussions were held, to inform and mobilize community service providers, following which was a December 2002 youth forum which gave supporting evidence to the themes of access, barriers, racism and hierarchies of power, and the exclusion of some youth sub-populations from services.

The next significant step in the project history was the 'Leaders of To-day' Workshop of June 2003. A gathering of 60 youth, workers, and service managers heard that youth saw and experienced racism, wanted better access to services, and wanted to be closer to the mainstream agency providers, perhaps through links and changes in policy. Over the next three months, a working group “Community Youth Action Network“ (CYAN) followed up the workshop, involving many players from June, and identifying policy, media, and events as the focus of action. A review of the artistic representation of that workshop highlighted the focus on racism, and the subsequent meetings outlined the focus on schools. The Steering Committee of CYAN was given a mandate to proceed.

The project also produced 2 editions of a “street zine“: 10 - 12 pages of youths' writings, highlighting emotional needs, racism, lack of attachments, etc.

PLANNING
The plan for outcomes was plain: focus on marginalized youth aged 16 - 19, deal with the issue of racism in Thunder Bay, work with a significant service provider in an attempt to have impact, look for policy change, and attempt this in a public forum as an 'event'. A series of focus groups took place with members of the target population.

Significant numbers of youth were included in this process: over 300 participated in focus groups, working towards the issue of racism in the schools, the theme of the planned workshop. There were other tangential themes highlighted (lack of youth expression and voice, resulting in a graffiti wall project; lack of youth recreation opportunities, with a community endeavour for midnight basketball activities), but the primary focus was racism in the schools.

FOCUS GROUPS
The information derived from focus groups was summarized into 10 common themes:

1) Racial discrimination is real in Thunder Bay schools

2) The noted forms of racial discrimination are having a profound effect on the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health of youth.

3) Youth recognize that racism is not simply an issue of Caucasian vs. non-Caucasian..

4) The youth have determined that racism is rooted in a lack of understanding and education about people from different cultures.

5) Although formatted as a discussion of racism in our schools, youth believe that it is a larger community issue.

6) Most of these youth are very interested in working with teachers and administration to develop solutions.

7) Students are unaware of the supports, policies and procedures already in place within the school system with regards to racial discrimination.

8) There is an influence that the media, television and movies have on perceptions of another’s cultural background

9) The focus group youth believe that the majority of racial beliefs are a result of one's upbringing and environment.

10) The youth believe there are ways to make changes.

WORKSHOP ON RACISIM IN THE SCHOOLS

The workshop took place April 14/04 at the Valhalla Inn. Over 70 participants attended including 60 youth.

Summary of Workshop Recommendations
School Boards need to:
· develop curriculum that includes racism and Canadian history
· expand March 21st activities (International Day Against Racism)
· recruit racially diverse staff
· review policies and practices for racial bias
· develop new learning materials to address stereotypes

Community Groups/Agencies and Their Leaders need to:
· invite school boards to become active partners in Diversity Thunder Bay
· partner with Diversity Thunder Bay to develop a school specific project
· Involve youth in any process or project development related to the subject of Racism
· Approach Department of Canadian Heritage for funding for anti-racism project such as
-Peer training for confronting racist behaviours
-Methods to break racial barriers in schools
· Seek Health Canada funding for follow up on this project

Intra-school Practices Need to:
· create a project to address violence and fighting
· use staff-student partnerships; student advisory group, peer programs.
· use TAP (Teacher advisor program) for healing circles
· get full time native counsellor at Board office
· develop awareness program re. Bullying and racism in a particular school
· raise school awareness through assemblies, posters
· develop a student committee to discuss racial issues, ways to overcome
· train peer mediators
· make school announcements, get guest speakers
· teach multicultural courses on a mandatory basis
· have cultural awareness days in school, part of religion class
· develop a core group to create awareness
· implement a student judicial system to deal with racist behaviour
· create an anti-racism student task force
· use Grade 12 students to educate grade 9 students

FOLLOW UP

Committee members unanimously agreed to follow-up on this project; to seek additional funding to continue work with the closing the distance model of bringing affected youth and school personnel closer to each other for positive inter-population changes.

The Steering Committee and Workshop on Racism Members include:

Ed Dovick, Ontario March of Dimes
Lorraine Boland, YES Employment
Anne LeSage, Thunder Bay Indian Friendship Centre
Marcel Nigro, Children’s Aid Society
Nancy Petrick, Lakehead Public Schools
Caroline Heringer-Skube Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
Heather Cummins, student and youth volunteer
Blake Kawiatash, student and youth volunteer
Mike Sklazeski, Regional Multi-Cultural Youth Council
Carol Rusak, Lakehead Social Planning Council Board Director
Duncan Adams, Lakehead Social Planning Council
Steve Gothard (staff)
Michelle Donio-King (staff)