No Student Left Behind!

Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) Board member Alix Adrien, president of the Quebec Board of Black Educators (QBBE), has launched the No Student Left Behind GoFundMe campaign to raise $50,000 to prevent students from multicultural communities from falling behind due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The QBBE implements educational programs that promote excellence in education within and outside the formal Quebec education system. It organizes and operates tutorial and enrichment programs aimed at developing self-esteem and improving academic and life skill deficiencies. In addition, QBBE’s goal is to prevent multicultural and diverse communities from being left behind, and ensure that there is an equitable distribution of services and resources for neglected communities. 

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 school season ended prematurely on March 15. The regular school season will resume in September, whether in the classroom or online. Beyond the global health crisis, there will be long-term economic, financial and educational hardships that will be felt by all – but most severely in communities of colour, remarks Adrien in his plea for support. “The coronavirus outbreak is having and will continue to have a negative impact on the education of our already at-risk youth. Ensuring the continuity of our programs, we are committed to continuing the DaCosta Hall and Bana summer schools. In addition, we need to step up and make sure that we meet the post-pandemic emerging needs of the community and ensure that our students will have access to online learning and tutoring.” 

In order to do this, the QBBE has to expand its services and program capacities to include an online platform. The No Student Left Behind GoFundMe campaign aims to raise $50,000 to accomplish this. Launched on June 5, the campaign has raised $6,732 as of June 19. 

[Local Journalism Initiative]