Black History Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the resilience of Black communities, while also acknowledging the ongoing struggles for equity.
For Black educators, the daily challenges of working with young children and families go beyond the role. Navigating additional barriers and burdens while caring for children can often feel isolating. Mentorship offers a way to be heard and valued, while providing leadership opportunities and a sense of community.
The Toronto Children’s Services Mentorship Program for Black Educators offers mentorship specifically tailored to the needs of Black early years professionals. Held on a virtual platform over six months, the program facilitates connections between mentors and mentees in the Toronto area with a minimum of two meetings monthly.
The sessions encompass topics such as:
- transformational leadership and legacy;
- power, policy and emotional labour in early learning and care work;
- rest, resistance and reclaiming wellness;
- communication that challenges and connects;
- Black joy as pedagogical practice; and
- culturally grounded environments and family partnerships.
Prior to piloting the program in 2023, the City of Toronto Children’s Services surveyed the early learning and child care workforce in the Greater Toronto Area to understand the climate. Educators expressed that there were few opportunities for advancement within the sector. The data further revealed that educators were leaving the sector, and that many racialized educators were facing discrimination and racism in their work environments.
The program, piloted by Shanice Denton RECE, Coordinator, Training and Development, Children’s Services, City of Toronto, has since been offered to three cohorts and has expanded to include the addition of co-leads Sabrin Saraj RECE, OCT, Education Consultant, Curriculum Developer and Facilitator at Culture Check, and Meghan Ardies RECE, Coordinator, Training and Development, Children’s Services, City of Toronto. We sat down with Shanice, Sabrin and Meghan to discuss the program and the importance of mentorship for Black educators in this first article of a two-part series.
Excerpts of this conversation are included below, with more to come in an upcoming issue of Connexions.
Why do early childhood educators need mentorship, and especially Black early childhood educators?
Sabrin: We all know that early childhood work is all heart. It’s relational, it’s emotional, and it can be incredibly isolating. We pour so much into caring for children, supporting families, and building community, but we rarely get that same kind of nurturing poured back into us. For Black professionals, that dynamic is layered with so much more. We’re not just navigating the day-to-day challenges of the role; we’re also navigating racial bias, microaggressions, and systemic barriers that often go unspoken. And many of us are the only Black person in our centre, carrying that invisible weight alone.
So, a mentorship program for Black RECEs is about creating a space to breathe. A space where you don’t have to code switch, over-explain yourself, or justify why culturally responsive practice matters. You can just be. You’re seen, you’re valued, and you’re in a room with people who just get it. It also gives new educators the chance to learn from experienced Black RECEs and other professionals in the sector who have walked this path before.
It’s grounding to know that what you’re experiencing isn’t just “you.” Someone else can validate your story, guide you, and help you navigate this sector with confidence and clarity. That foundation of safety and understanding is what allows the real growth to happen.
How would you define mentorship?
Shanice: To me, mentorship is an ongoing practice. It’s about walking alongside others and sharing what you’ve learned from your journey in a way that inspires and supports theirs. It is less about giving direction and more about offering guidance, encouragement, collaboration, and maintaining an openness to reciprocal learning. Mentorship is essential for strengthening and expanding capacity across all industries, and it is a responsibility that early learning professionals should embody to keep our profession moving forward.
What challenges do Black RECEs face in accessing mentoring supports?
Shanice: With the current staffing crisis the sector is experiencing, there are not enough opportunities for spontaneous mentorship, and insufficient programming to support formal mentorship – particularly culturally specific mentorship. While representation has improved significantly over the past several years, we still do not see enough Black educators in leadership spaces. Those who do occupy these spaces are disproportionately responsible for championing opportunities for Black educators who also want to develop the skills needed for career advancement.
Can you describe who registers for the program? What are their hopes or goals, and what have been some of the outcomes of participating in the program?
Sabrin: We see a wide range of Black early years professionals register for the program. In addition to RECEs, we have child care workers, home child care providers and visitors, supervisors, early years support teams, resource consultants, EarlyON program staff and many others who work with young children and families. We have Black folks whose ancestors have been here for generations, newcomers, people from the Caribbean, and people from across the African continent. Even with our different backgrounds, we’re noticing the same patterns in this sector, which shows that these challenges aren’t individual but systemic.
Participants come to the program hoping to feel less isolated, connect with mentors who understand their lived experiences, grow in their leadership, and strengthen their identity as Black educators. Many want support navigating workplace challenges and advocating for equity.
The outcomes have been great so far. People are becoming more confident speaking up about inequities, building stronger relationships, understanding their communication styles, and setting healthier boundaries. Most importantly, they leave with a deeper sense of belonging and the reassurance that they’re not alone, and that their voice matters.
How are mentors selected?
Meghan: Mentors are selected through a self-selection process. The program is promoted across the early learning sector, and interested individuals are invited to register. Mentors are strongly recommended to have at least five years of experience in the early learning sector, ideally in a leadership role. All mentors must be currently working in Toronto. Thirty-six mentees and 40 mentors have participated in the program since it was first offered.
In what ways does mentorship support Black educators personally and professionally?
Meghan: Through this program, I’ve watched mentorship create a genuine sense of community for Black early learning professionals; a space where you feel seen not only for your work, but for who you are. It’s a much-needed opportunity to connect with someone who understands the realities we face as Black educators because they have lived those same realities, and that kind of connection can be really empowering.
This connection supports both professional growth and personal well-being by centering strengths and through conversations that are honest, reflective, and supportive. It doesn’t only strengthen skills, it provides meaningful guidance in navigating the early learning and care sector. In this way, mentorship strengthens a sense of belonging for Black educators in this sector, and that’s what makes this program so impactful.
Watch for part two in this conversation series in an upcoming issue of Connexions, where Meghan, Shanice and Sabrin discuss more about the impact of the program and share feedback from program participants.
Additional resources from Toronto Children’s Services
- Quality & Pedagogy: Program supports for ECEs, RECEs and supervisors including webinars, learning opportunities, Assessment for Quality Improvement (AQI) guidelines and research.
- Professional Learning Opportunities Mailing List (English and French): Information about mentorship and professional learning opportunities offered by Toronto Children’s Services for early learning professionals in Toronto.
- City Wide Training: Registration and information on upcoming professional learning opportunities with Toronto Children’s Services.
Biographies
Meghan Ardies is a Registered Early Childhood Educator with 14 years of experience in the early learning and child care sector. She has worked as an Educator and Supervisor in licensed child care centres and as a Bilingual Quality Assurance Analyst with Toronto Children’s Services, supporting the French language sector.
Meghan continues her work with Toronto Children’s Services in the role of Training and Development Coordinator, where she designs and delivers professional learning, leads sector wide training initiatives, and supports early learning professionals in their ongoing learning. She is passionate about working with educators to create high quality, inclusive environments where children and families of diverse identities and lived experiences are welcomed and respected and feel a strong sense of belonging.
Sabrin Saraj is a Registered Early Childhood Educator and Ontario Certified Teacher with over 10 years of experience working with children from diverse backgrounds across infant, toddler, preschool, kindergarten and school-age settings. Her practice is informed by her lived experience as a Black Muslim woman and an immigrant to Canada, which shapes how she approaches relationships, learning, and community.
Sabrin has worked across multiple sectors in education, including school boards, early years programs, EarlyON centres, ministries of education and other professional groups. She is a former board director with Parents for Diversity and currently works as a consultant and facilitator with Culture Check Inc., supporting organizations in reflecting on and strengthening their educational spaces in ways that are thoughtful, responsive and grounded in real practice.
Shanice Denton is a Registered Early Childhood Educator with over a decade of experience in licensed early learning and child care programs. She brings extensive frontline experience supporting children, families, and educators, which continues to inform her systems-level work.
Shanice also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and City Studies and currently works as a Coordinator for Training and Development with the City of Toronto’s Children’s Services, where she focuses on capacity building and professional development across the sector. Her work is informed by an understanding of social systems and how they shape experiences within Toronto’s early learning and child care spaces. She is passionate about supporting educator well-being and advancing equity practices that strengthen outcomes for children and families across diverse communities.