Our Programs
Restoring Black Environmental Power in Environmental Stewardship
Environmental Education
Afro-inspired environmental engagement by Blacks, for Blacks in solidarity with all people and communities with similar challenges.
Green Jobs
Promoting increased access to decent work in the green transition by creating training and employment opportunities for Black Canadians in environmental policy, climate science and green construction.
Community Energy
Building the power of Black, Immigrant and low-income communities to participate in a bottom-up renewable energy revolution through community energy.
Our Initiatives
Our initiatives explore creative ways to meet program goals
Roots for Resilience
Roots for Resilience is a land-based learning initiative that connects Black and other marginalized youth with nature through hands-on experiences at Maloca Community Gardens and beyond. Through gardening, storytelling, and ecological education, youth build deep relationships with the land, fostering resilience, cultural pride, and environmental stewardship.
Eco-Trips Initiative
Eco-Trips provide transformative travel experiences that expose participants to global environmental issues, Indigenous wisdom, and climate diplomacy. From UN COP conferences (in partnership with CCECJ) to Arctic expeditions with Adventure Canada, we cultivate future leaders by connecting them to the land and the world. Future destinations include eco-trips across Africa—linking environmental justice with ancestral reconnection.
Afro-Inspired Environmental Education
Drawing from ancient African Indigenous knowledge and rooted in climate science, BE Initiative delivers Afro-inspired environmental education for schools, communities, and neighborhoods. These workshops highlight the environmental wisdom of African traditions while engaging participants in modern climate solutions, offering a powerful lens through which to reimagine sustainability, identity, and justice.
ELLA Squads
ELLA Squads initiative trains local community members as environmental monitoring experts who assess indoor and neighborhood exposure to harmful pollutants. These squads offer in-home and workplace evaluations, recommend practical solutions, and help facilitate access to resources. By addressing environmental threats at the hyperlocal level, the initiative also strengthens policy advocacy grounded in community experience. This initiative is named after Ella Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year old girl who died in 2013, in the UK, due to an asthma attack exacerbated by air pollution.
Green Construction Training
In collaboration with the Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN) and their NextGen program, BE Initiative previously delivered green construction training for Black and immigrant low-income job seekers. We are now building on that success to create a comprehensive training and placement program that connects underrepresented communities to emerging opportunities in the green economy and climate sector.
HIIND Initiative, Reimaginating who belongs in Science
HIIND (Honoring Inclusive Imagination for New Discoveries) is our initiative to shift the cultural narrative of who can be a climate scientist. Named in honor of the late Professor Hind el Admaleh—a brilliant and trailblazing climate scientist—we work to dismantle stereotypes and invite the brilliance of diverse communities into the heart of climate science. By fusing art, education, and science, HIIND makes space for inclusive imagination and new discoveries.
Let us work together to make a difference
Join our team and impact the lives of communities affected by environmental issues.
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