As part of the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement’s Black Student Summer Leadership Program (BSSLP), Toronto District School Board students Avaiah H. and Liyah S. spent five weeks working at the Toronto Humane Society.
The Black Student Summer Leadership Program provides Black youth at the TDSB identity-affirming mentorship, experiential learning opportunities and an introduction to a variety of academic and career pathways.
At the Toronto Humane Society, Avaiah, a recent graduate from York Mills CI and Liyah, a Grade 12 student from Ursula Franklin Academy, spent the summer doing a variety of tasks with the community and with a bunch of furry friends.
Responsibilities included:
- Animal enrichment
- Data entry
- Laundry
- Site tours
- Job shadowing the veterinarians and veterinary technicians
The students expressed that the most interesting part of their experience was having the opportunity to observe cat surgeries.
Avaiah and Liyah also shadowed the veterinarians and veterinary technicians to see what they do on a day-to-day basis, asked questions to the professionals, and learned what routes and pathways they took to enter the profession.
During their placement at the Toronto Humane Society, Avaiah and Liyah also learned how to train animals. “I’ve learned how to train a dog. We are specialized in two levels of dogs, two levels of cats and all the special species. We received training to be able to enrich these animals. We had to learn their mannerisms so we could be with them... To note if they are sick, if something is abnormal,” said Avaiah.
Students also learned about animal shelter operations and the different employment positions within an animal shelter. “One of the biggest things I learned was what a vet tech was. It is basically a nurse, but for animals. And I got to explore some of the veterinary careers which I didn’t know about before,” said Liyah.
Avaiah aspires to become a surgeon. “In being here I may have shifted wanting to be a surgeon for people to an animal surgeon, or a vet,” said Avaiah. Liyah is confident she wants to pursue a career in the medical field, “Originally I wanted to be some sort of doctor. After being here, I am conflicted as to whether I want to work with humans or animals,” said Liyah.
Carol Boulding, Chief People Officer at the Toronto Humane Society says, “We have a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and we want to make a meaningful difference. There is underrepresentation in the veterinary field of racialized medical staff, especially vets and we want to change that within the field of animal welfare and veterinary medicine and this program is a way to expose Black youth to the opportunities available and to help them realize that Black people can be veterinarians and veterinary technicians and they would be welcome.”
In August 2025, the Black Student Summer Leadership Program wrapped up its sixth year. Over 100 Black youth received access to mentorship, experiential learning opportunities, guest speakers and the ability to participate in a unique Afrocentric research model known as Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR). The program concluded with a three-day YPAR Summer Research Symposium where students shared their research and findings about issues impacting their lives and communities.
To learn more about the BSSLP visit our website.