Timeline Summary
BPT's key milestones, program highlights, and current direction for 2025
2015 – The Beginning:
Founded at the University of Toronto as a Community of Support chapter to empower aspiring Black physicians and health professionals through wellness workshops and academic mentorship.
2017 – Shifting the System:
Identified gaps in early academic support for Black students in STEM and began community outreach in high schools to help youth align course choices with their dreams.
2020 – The Arts as a Lifeline:
During the pandemic, the program moved online with tutoring, workshops, and creative mentorship like the “Build Your Own App” coding challenge and “Passport Challenge.” The arts became central to engagement, with mentors and youth artists employed to share their talents in a growing virtual community.
2025 and Beyond – Culturally Relevant Mentorship for the Future:
Now delivering a hybrid model of mentorship through partnerships with DBEN and Afiwi Groove, blending virtual academic support with in-person life skills and wellness sessions. We deliver culturally relevant mentorship rooted in identity, representation, and lived experience — inspiring youth to pursue paths in STEAM while uplifting future physicians, healthcare professionals, and changemakers.
2016 – Our Voice on Air:
Launched a top-rated wellness-focused radio show on Riot Radio (Ontario Tech University & Durham College). Partnered with Sickle Cell Canada (2016–2018) to raise awareness and funds for research and advocacy.
2018–2020 – Community Roots & Mentorship:
Received Ontario Trillium Foundation Youth Opportunities Fund to launch the first Academic and Life Skills Mentorship Program. Sessions at Sarah McDonald House and Durham community centers engaged nearly 100 families, with a 90% success rate in youth growth and confidence. Mentors also began supporting younger siblings, creating intergenerational learning spaces that became the foundation of our approach.
2022–2024 – Scaling Our Impact:
Expanded programs and partnerships, securing a Youth Opportunities Fund Scale-Up Grant in 2024 to strengthen infrastructure and increase reach.