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What is Take BAC?
Take BAC began in the summer of 2007, in the 13 priority neighbourhoods, with the hope of engaging youth in beautiful and clean (BAC) projects that would foster a safer, greener, cleaner, and more beautiful city. This hands-on community beautification program designed for young people between 12 and 15 years old living in the City of Toronto's under-resourced neighbourhoods. Take BAC encourages environmental stewardship by cultivating youth-driven green ideas and providing the right education, resources and leadership to produce healthy and sustainable local environments. This year’s mandate is to have fewer projects, with greater impact.
How does it work?
Each Take BAC project is managed by a Youth Engagement Coordinator and two Youth Mentors (sponsored by TCH). The YECs and YMs are adults and experienced in mentoring youth. At each Take BAC site, they oversee a group of approximately 10 to 15 youth (aged 12 through 15).
The youth leadership teams and their youth will:
- design and create green, natural, and sustainable public spaces
- incorporate perennials, vines, shrubs, trees, daffodil bulbs or other long-lasting plants in their designs
- include ornamental garden stones, benches, pic-nic tables, planter boxes, or other structures in the design
- learn the importance of using the proper soil and mulch;
- create a project that will have a lasting legacy in the community;
- have an ongoing maintenance plan for the projects, examples: watering the plants and removing weeds.
Important 2011 dates
Registration: June
Plan & Complete BAC projects: July 4 – July 29
Training and Planning Workshop: July 11
Local Community Celebrations: August
Daffodil Bulbs Planting Workshop: September 10th
For complete details download the 2011 Take BAC flyer.
Who funds Take BAC?
Take BAC is possible because of the sponsors that step-up each year to support the youth. They believe that programs like Take BAC bring communities together and showcase the "stars": young people with a shared vision, shared hope, and shared pride for their community.
Each team receives funds and in-kind support to purchase materials for their BAC initiatives and to provide the honoraria for the youth. The program is coordinated jointly by two City of Toronto divisions: Transportation Services (Public Realm Section) and Social Development, Finance and Administration.
The program has enabled partnerships to be forged between City services, agencies, boards, and commissions; and private and community-based organizations.
This year's Take BAC partners include:
Toronto Community Housing
TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
Live Green Toronto
Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation
Evergreen
Toronto Police Service
Want to know more?
For additional information, please contact:
Email: flewisd@toronto.ca
Telephone: 416-392-3144
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