A youth group dedicated to nurturing talent among Windsor-Essex's Black children is receiving a significant boost from Ottawa.
The Black Kids in Action (BKIA) Performing Arts Group has received $2.1-million in federal funding for two fiscal years. The announcement was made on Monday by Federal Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien and Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk.
Ien told WindsorNewsToday.ca that the funding will not only expand programming for Black youth but also help the group find a single, everyday home. Currently, the group holds meetings and performances at multiple places across the city.
"That creates a bit of a problem for parents to get their kids there, just from a continuity standpoint," said Ien. "So they're looking at space, something that would enable them to be in one place, and also the hope is that if that happens, that it'll attract other young people."
According to the BKIA's website, the goal is to create a safe and nurturing space for the performing arts, allow kids a place safe from bullying, peer pressure, and family pressure; and allow Black artists to serve as mentors.
Ien said she heard firsthand from parents of children in the program.
"Parents were quite emotional talking about the changes that they saw in their kids," said Ien. "There were some instances when parents couldn't reach their kids. What they were doing or trying at home just wasn't getting through. And all of a sudden, they saw their kids performing in a show."
The BKIA also offers an annual Canada Day bicycling event, a soccer tournament each summer, and a math competition among other programs.
The funding for the BKIA is part of the $200-million set aside by the federal Liberal government for the Canada Service Corps (CSC), which empowers young people to make a meaningful impact in their communities. Since it was launched in 2018, the CSC's efforts have led to youth participating in over 200 volunteer projects across Canada.
