Postsecondary Education Connectors Program
Program Delivery Call for Applications
This is an invitation to prospective applicants to submit applications for funding to deliver the Postsecondary Education Connectors Program. This application package is issued by Her Majesty the Queen in right of Ontario as represented by the Minister of Children and Youth Services (the “Ministry”).
1. Program Guidelines 2
1.1 Background 2
1.2 Initiative Overview 2
1.3 Desired Outcomes 4
1.4 Possible Activities 5
1.5 Funding 6
1.6 Beneficiary Population 7
1.7 Collective Impact 8
1.8 Eligibility 8
2. Application Process 9
2.1 Submitting an Application 9
2.2 Application Questions 9
2.3 Selection of Initiatives 9
2.4 Important Notes for Applicants 11
Appendix A: Collective Impact and Cultural Identity – BYAP Guiding Principles 12
Appendix B: Application Template 13
Appendix C: Application Checklist 18
Program Guidelines
1.1 Background
In March 2017 Ontario released the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan (BYAP) to help reduce disparities for Black children, youth and families. The BYAP is a four-year, $47 million commitment that, when fully implemented, will support 10,800 Black children, youth and their families annually.
The BYAP will increase access to supports and opportunities for Black children, youth and their families in Ontario across life stages, from early childhood to the transition to school and / or work. New programs will only be available in communities across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), Ottawa and Windsor.
All BYAP initiatives have been developed with input from the External Implementation Steering Committee and feedback from community engagement sessions. The External Implementation Steering Committee (EISC) is made up of systems experts and leaders including youth and cross-sector representatives from Black communities across the identified regions. EISC’s role is to inform the design and implementation of BYAP initiatives and ensure the Plan is responsive to the needs of Ontario’s Black children, youth and families. More information on EISC can be found here.
Initiatives under the BYAP will be delivered using a “made-in-Ontario” Collective Impact and Cultural Identity (CI2) and Anti-Black Racism (ABR) Framework. To learn more about the Framework, please see Appendix A.
This is a call for applications for funding to deliver the Postsecondary Education Connectors Program, a BYAP initiative which seeks to connect Black youth to a navigator who will support them to get on the pathway to postsecondary education (PSE), and help them to see PSE as a viable pathway to a career.
1.2 Initiative Overview
Context
In 2016 the Ontario government announced a plan to transform the Ontario Student Assistance Program to make average tuition free for students whose family income is less than $50,000 per year. However, while financial barriers to PSE access are important, for some students non-financial barriers can be as or more important. Non-financial barriers can include experiencing racism and discrimination in the education and other systems, a negative perception of PSE, not seeing themselves as belonging in PSE, not receiving sufficient academic preparation, and have difficulty navigating the various complex information sources and support programs that are currently available.
Therefore, in addition to making PSE more affordable for low- and middle-income students Ontario has launched a strategy to improve access to PSE, focused on non-financial barriers. The vision for the strategy is to ensure that all Ontarians receive the supports they need to pursue PSE, have a fair chance to fulfill their dreams, achieve their potential and thrive in the global knowledge economy.
While there is limited administrative data, there is evidence that Black students are less likely to engage in PSE (this includes apprenticeship, college, and university). For example, Black students in the Toronto District School Board are less likely to apply to postsecondary education and tend to be overrepresented in applied courses in Ontario secondary schools[1], which can limit postsecondary pathway options as early as grade nine. Evidence repeatedly demonstrates the persistent and lifelong value of PSE, and therefore, Black students are less likely to access the economic and social benefits that come with a postsecondary credential.[2] Evidence from other jurisdictions has also indicated that financial barriers (e.g., tuition and affordability) alone are not the primary impediments to PSE enrollment and completion – particularly for marginalized youth.[3]
Having experienced racism, discrimination, streaming and low expectations, many Black youth do not believe in their own capacity, see a place for themselves in PSE, or believe that PSE will have any value for them. They might not have access to opportunities for the academic, emotional and social development that is often necessary to successfully access PSE. They also may not have access to the experiential learning opportunities that enable students to see PSE as possible for them, as well as critical to labour market success.
There are a number of existing programs / resources that attempt to address educational and other barriers for youth [4] and may make a significant difference in supporting some Black youth to achieve stronger education outcomes, access and progress through PSE, and meaningful long-term career success. However, many Black youth do not know about these programs, and / or have life circumstances that prevent them from participating.
Program Description
The Postsecondary Education Connectors (PSECs) program will involve mentors / navigators / coaches who will build and maintain one-on-one relationships with Black youth and their families / other support networks, in order to support Black youth in developing an interest in, and plan for, their education and a meaningful long-term career. PSECs will then make it possible for youth that they are supporting to access the right program / resources, at the right time, in a way that works for them.
PSECs will use culturally-relevant and responsive approaches to develop and enhance the identity, culture and sense of belonging that Black youth experience to their community as a protective factor. In order to do this, PSECs may have similar backgrounds / identities to the youth that they are supporting, they will get to know and support the young person’s identity, goals, passions, strengths, and background, and will work with them to ensure they have the supports they need to overcome the barriers they face to pursuing and accessing PSE, and their career goals. The PSECs will develop a one-on-one relationship with each Black youth on their caseload, and work across sectors and locations to connect these youth to a wide variety of programs and resources. PSECs will leverage existing opportunities to enhance access to PSE, and will have a coordinating role in ensuring that efforts from cross-sectoral partners are aligned, coordinated and maximized. Activities would include (but not be limited to) supporting Black youth to access a range of programs, both specific to PSE and extra-curricular, creating PSE and career-oriented site-visits, setting up tutoring services, cultural-specific programming, etc. Ultimately, these efforts will help ensure that a greater number of Black youth will be able to navigate the complex options available to them, and these youth will have the meaningful relationship(s) and support they need to achieve long-term educational and career success.
PSECs will be funded through, and housed in, agencies and organizations currently supporting / connected to Black youth. However, the expectation is also that PSECs will refer and connect youth to programming and supports beyond what is offered by any particular agency or organization – i.e. the goal is to get the right youth to the right program(s) at the right time to support them in meeting their PSE goals. This will mean working with partners from across a broad range of sector(s).
Important note for applicants: The Ministry of Children and Youth Services is currently funding research activities that will create findings / recommendations for the design and delivery of the PSEC program in Ontario. To support evidence-based program design and delivery, the ministry will work with successful applicants to this PSEC Program Call for Applications to incorporate relevant findings of this research into their programs, where possible. Findings are expected to be available in Spring 2018.
1.3 Desired Outcomes
The intended program-level outputs / outcomes include (but are not limited to):
· # and proportion of youth[5] who report having built positive relationships with their PSEC
· # and proportion of youth with PSECs who have been referred to supportive and relevant programming to meet their identified goal(s) related to PSE / career (with details about the nature of the programming)
· # and proportion of youth with PSECs who have developed plans to access PSE and their career goal(s)
· # and proportion of youth with PSECs who enroll in PSE
· # and proportion of youth who feel that their PSEC’s support was a major factor in their ability to access PSE
· # and proportion of youth who are still engaged in PSE one year after enrolling
Applicants are encouraged to suggest additional program outcomes in their application.
These program-level outcomes are expected to contribute, in the long term, to improving the following community-level outcomes for Black youth in Ontario. Note that these are long-term expected outcomes and would not be within the scope of these contracts
· Increased high school completion rates with strong enough grades and the appropriate courses to be admitted to desired PSE programs
· Increased PSE registration and enrollment rates among Black youth
· Increased PSE graduation rates among Black youth
· Increased labour market success for Black youth post-graduation from PSE
1.4 Possible Activities
The activities that applicants may undertake in order to achieve the above outcomes include, but are not limited to:
· Develop meaningful relationships with Black youth so that youth feel comfortable to explore / describe their needs, goals and aspirations, skills and abilities as well as barriers (financial and non-financial).
· Develop and use innovative and effective approaches (e.g. motivational interviewing, strengths-based approach, etc.) to work with Black youth so that they see PSE and a meaningful and viable career pathway, as a viable and valuable option for them
· Support Black youth to develop a personal education plan that puts them on a path to a meaningful career, which will typically involve PSE participation
· Be knowledgeable and connected to a range of relevant programs and services that support youth to access PSE, connect Black youth with the right resources and programs in order to overcome their barriers to PSE and reach their goals
· Advocate for and support Black youth who experience Anti-Black Racism and other financial and non-financial barriers to accessing what they need and achieving their PSE / career goals, including supporting Black youth to enhance their resiliency, pro-social skills and other protective factors
· Be knowledgeable and connected to other community resources / supports to provide Black youth with general information, contacts, referrals and support as needed to build assets and address needs (e.g., housing, employment, education, health care and recreation; social and emotional issues)
· Collaborate with a Community of Practice of PSECs and other related service providers (e.g. Youth Outreach Workers, Youth Job Connection Service Providers, Youth in Transition Workers, etc.) across the province, once established, to share best practices, resources, etc.
· Support and work with parents / caregivers and other family members where relevant, to help Black youth address their needs and refer parents and family members to other supports and services available in the community when needed
· Maintain collaborative working relationships with other professionals within and outside of the organization
· Continue to provide these supports to Black youth once they’ve enrolled in PSE to ensure they are supported to continue their studies
1.5 Funding
Funding for this initiative is to be used exclusively for the wages and expenses related to recruiting, hiring, and training (a) PSEC(s) and delivering the program. Applicants must indicate how many PSECs they plan to hire and what the pay of each PSEC would be, including a breakdown of other planned costs.
While actual costs will be determined and negotiated with each selected applicant, the maximum amount of funding available is $100,000 per PSEC, per full fiscal year (term of agreement will be negotiated with each selected applicant, but will not exceed three years).
Funding will be provided annually. This includes funding for salary and benefits as well as administration, supervision and program costs.
The guiding framework for the Program funding is as follows:
Per PSEC – Total Funding (per year) / $100,000 (MAX)Salaries
Total gross salary & wage payments. Included in this account line are premium pay, overtime pay, vacation pay, and other direct monetary compensation paid to employees. / $60,000-$65,000
Benefits
The employer cost of all employee benefits. This account line includes mandatory benefits such as CPP, EI, EHT; etc. / (dependent on salary)
Administration and Supervision
This includes agency and program administration, and supervision / training. / Max 10% of total program expenses
Travel / food / discretionary program items / $5,000-$10,000
One time Start-up Costs
Allowance for the purchase of a tablet for use of the PSEC, other equipment or leasehold improvement costs / $2,000-$5,000
Transfer Payment Agreements
Applicants who are selected to receive funding (the lead applicant in cases of collaborative applications) will be required to enter into a Transfer Payment Agreement with the Ministry that will set out the terms and conditions for Program delivery and funding.
Funding may be renewed for up to three years and activities / milestones for successful applicants must be completed by March 31, 2021. It is expected that programs will begin delivering services in summer 2018.
1.6 Beneficiary Population
The focus of PSECs under BYAP is to support Black youth who are not already on a path to PSE (i.e., Black youth who, without interventions and support, would not otherwise be expected to access and succeed in PSE).
Applicants are encouraged to identify the specific types of non-financial barriers that their proposed beneficiary population of Black youth will be facing (e.g. due to experiencing Anti-Black Racism and discrimination in the education / PSE sectors: feeling that PSE is not viable / valuable for them; having inadequate supports to pursue PSE; being inadequately qualified to pursue PSE; etc.).