Toronto District School Board
Skip to main content

Black Student Summer Leadership Program

The Black Student Summer Leadership Program (BSSLP) is a paid, seven-week internship for Black high school students in Grades 10–12. Rooted in Afrocentric and community-based approaches, the program combines experiential learning placements, leadership development, and research opportunities to support students as researchers, leaders, and changemakers.

Led by the Graduation Coaches for Black Students and supported by a multidisciplinary team of educators, social workers, and researchers, BSSLP centres Black student voice while building pathways to post-secondary education, careers, and community leadership.

BSSLP collaborates with community organizations, postsecondary institutions, cultural organizations, and industry partners to provide meaningful in-person experiential learning placements for Black high school students. Placements may connect to areas such as STEM, healthcare, education, media, public policy, community development, arts and culture, skilled trades, information technology, sports management, business, and other career-connected learning opportunities.

Please note: Applications for 2025-2026 are now closed. Organizations interested in hosting a BSSLP student placement or learning more about partnership opportunities may contact [email protected] 

Student Voices: Reflections on BSSLP

Hear directly from Black student leaders as they reflect on their experiences in the Black Student Summer Leadership Program. In this video, students share how BSSLP supported their growth as leaders, researchers, changemakers, and community-connected learners. Through paid experiential learning placements, mentorship, leadership development, and Youth Participatory Action Research, students describe how the program helped them build confidence, strengthen their voice, explore future pathways, and contribute to meaningful conversations in their schools and communities.

BSSLP_FLYER

Program Components

1. Pathways Selection

Students can choose between two distinct pathways within the Black Student Summer Leadership Program. This new model was developed in direct response to ongoing student and family feedback, ensuring that students can select a pathway aligned with their strengths, interests, and future goals. Both pathways honour Black student leadership, identity, community connection, mentorship, and experiential learning (job placement), which remain core commitments of the BSSLP.
Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

The YPAR Pathway is grounded in Afrocentric principles that honour Black ways of knowing, community wisdom, and collective responsibility. Designed for students interested in research, storytelling, social justice, and community change, this pathway invites students to examine issues that matter to them and contribute their knowledge to broader conversations across the system.

Using an Afrocentric research approach, students learn how to develop inquiry questions, collect and analyze data, uplift community voices, and share findings through creative expression and public presentation. Students build skills in critical thinking, research design, communication, and leadership — all supported by mentors and educators who value their identities and lived experiences.

In addition to their research training, YPAR students complete a paid experiential learning (job placement) aligned with their interests and career goals. They also participate in real-world knowledge-sharing opportunities, including school-based presentations and the annual YPAR Symposium.

Weekly Work Schedule:

  • 3 days: Experiential learning (job placement)
  • 2 days (Monday & Friday): YPAR professional development and research training
ElevatEd Pathway

The ElevatEd Pathway is a new employment option within BSSLP, created to help students build leadership, communication, and advocacy skills outside of the research pathway. This pathway supports students who want to strengthen their voice, build confidence, and develop the practical skills needed to navigate school, community, and post-secondary spaces.

In addition to receiving paid employment through an experiential learning (job placement) opportunity, students in the ElevatEd Pathway participate in engaging professional development sessions grounded in a leadership framework. These sessions build leadership capacity, enhance public speaking and communication skills, foster community building, and strengthen students’ ability to advocate for themselves and others. The aim is to empower Black students to become thoughtful, skilled, and community-minded changemakers who are prepared for future academic and career pathways.

Weekly Work Schedule:

  • 4 days: Experiential learning (job placement)
  • 1 day (Wednesday): Leadership professional development workshops

2. Experiential Learning Placements

Each student completes a paid weekly placement aligned with their interests, pathway and career goals.

  • Placements are hosted by community organizations, postsecondary institutions, cultural hubs, and industry partners.
  • Students gain workplace experience, mentorship, and professional networks, while host organizations benefit from student contributions to equity-driven initiatives.
  • Students in both the YPAR and ElevatEd pathways are well-suited for placements connected to research, community engagement, public health, policy, engineering, information technology, sports management, media, business, skilled trades, education, arts and culture, and other career-connected learning opportunities aligned with their interests and goals.

3. Leadership Development

Developing confident and well-supported leaders is central to BSSLP. Students benefit from a layered mentorship model that connects them with alumni peer mentors, staff mentors, and community professionals.

  • Workshops build skills in public speaking, advocacy, research design, and networking.
  • Students embody Ubuntu (“I am because you are”), creating lasting networks of care and leadership.

Background & Growth

The Black Student Summer Leadership Program was launched in 2019 through a partnership with the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora at York University. It was created to strengthen Black students’ agency, activism, leadership, and active citizenship.

What began with a small first cohort has grown into one of the most sought-after summer opportunities in the TDSB. Each year, the program engages over 100 Black high school students, with interest and applications continuing to increase across the system.

Today, BSSLP continues to grow in response to student and family feedback. Through its Youth Participatory Action Research and ElevatEd pathways, the program provides Black students with paid experiential learning placements, mentorship, leadership development, research training, and opportunities to explore post-secondary, career, and community leadership pathways. 

BSSLP is facilitated by the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement, in partnership with the TDSB’s Research & Development Department and Continuing Education’s Focus on Youth Initiative.

Our Commitment

The BSSLP aims to:

  • Create learning experiences that embrace community, encourage discovery, and inspire excellence.
  • Strengthen Black students’ citizenship, agency, and leadership through research, mentorship, and experiential learning.
  • Honour and affirm the aspirations, intersectional identities, and strengths of Black students.
  • Support Black students as leaders, researchers, changemakers, and community-connected learners.
  • Respond directly to the priorities identified by students and families.

 Key Dates:

  • Information Session (virtual): Thursday, November 27, 2025 | 6:00 – 7:30 PM 
  • Employment Readiness Workshop (virtual): Tuesday, December 2, 2025 | 6:00 – 7:30 PM  
  • Applications Open: Monday, December 8, 2025  
  • Applications Close: Friday, January 9, 2026 (11:59 PM)
  • Interviews: February 2026
  • Job Offers: March 2026
  • Engagement with placements and partners: Spring 2026

Learn more:

Inspired to Excel

 Friday May 01, 2026 The Inspired to Excel Pre-Kindergarten - Kindergarten Summer Learning Program welcome pre-school students who will be...
More from Black Student Summer Leadership Program