The OVOV program is excited to present the third edition of PowerUp! — a symposium for African-Canadian/Black children and youth in care or actively involved with child welfare. PowerUp! is the first Canadian event specifically designed for Black youth in care to provide connections to community, to empower them, and to inspire unity and togetherness for Black youth across Ontario in the child welfare system.
The event will take place virtually on February 24, 2022 from 1-4 PM.
Register by February 4 to guarantee that each youth participant receives their swag bag by the event date.
Register Here!
Want to attend PowerUp! but you’re not sure if you have permission to miss class?
Use this letter to send to your teacher so they better understand what the symposium is all about!
Check out highlights from PowerUp! 2021
Follow OVOV on social media to stay up to date with all conference updates
Frequently Asked Questions
PowerUp! is for children and youth who identify as African-Canadian, Caribbean, or Black and are in care or actively involved with an Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agency or a Children’s Aid Society in Ontario. Youth participants must be connected to a worker at a CAS or Indigenous agency. PowerUp! programming is geared for youth aged 12 to 18 but younger youth are welcome to participate. Agency staff supporting youth attendees can also attend.
PowerUp! is the first Canadian event specifically designed for Black youth in care to gather and feel empowered, seen, celebrated, and uplifted by their own community, elders, and workers. It is an opportunity to foster peer relationships and to strengthen connections to culture and identity in a fun, safe, and affirming way as per CYFSA requirements. To learn more about programming during the event, listen to OVOV manager Keishia Facey here or follow OVOV on social media (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook) to stay up to date with all conference updates.
Due to COVID-19, PowerUp! 2022 will be taking place virtually on the Zoom platform.
PowerUp! is free for all participants! Youth attendees will receive a swag bag and a $25 Visa gift card to cover the costs of a lunch/food for the event.
Swag bags will be shipped to individual agencies to an agency contact. The agency contact will work with the workers of youth attendees to ensure the swag bags are received by the Power Up! event on February 24.
There is no cut off for registration but in order to guarantee youth receive their swag bag by the event date, workers should register youth by February 4. Youth who are registered later than this date may receive their swag bags after the event.
We understand that this event may bring up a lot of strong emotions for youth who attend. There will be a resource packet outlining immediate supports youth can access before, during, or after the symposium in the swag bags and a resource spotlight during the event.
A mental health counsellor will be onsite during and available immediately after the event to support or debrief. We strongly advise that workers check in with their youth before and after the event and be available to support, connect, or debrief.
