The Catchment We Support
Postal codes: M3N, M3M, M3L, M3J
The CEC is a proud member of the Black Creek and Jane Finch communities. We know the University gains much from being in the community. We want to make sure we continue to contribute in ways that demonstrate reciprocity and mutual support. Here are a few ways we are working on this.
What we offer:
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To help foster mutually beneficial relationships, we can help community members and organizations connect with the University community and resources, maybe for research, for student placements, or other ways the community determines they want to work together.
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We know that finding meeting space can be a challenge in the neighbourhood. Email yorkcec@yorku.ca to talk to us about using our meeting room for a training, community meeting, or some pop up study/work space.
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As part of our goal to foster meaningful and impactful relationships, we have awarded over $150,000 to support the collaborative projects between Black Creek community residents/organizations and YorkU Faculty and staff. Learn more.
We have been working since 2017 to be more intentional about supporting the economic and job needs in the community.
We call this Anchor YorkU - the idea that an institution has a long-standing place-based relationship with the community it is located in. As a result of this relationship, the institution is uniquely positioned to intentionally leverage its economic power and human capital in partnership with the community to contribute towards the community's well being in the following ways:
- The University has developed procurement practices that work toward increased inclusion of local residents and diverse vendors.
- We also are working on a way to be more proactive in local hiring. York has a large and diverse workforce and the community can benefit from these employment opportunities.
Community Networks
The CEC actively participates on various community and YorkU tables to find avenues for collaboration to create more systemic change. This involvement builds capacity and keeps our work grounded in the community. Some of initiatives and committees are:
- Neighborhood Action Youth Employment Committee (NAYEC)
- Black Creek Financial Action Network (BCFAN)
- Jane Finch Education Action Group (JFEAG)
- Partnership for Education, Apprenticeship & Training (P.E.A.T.)
- YorkU Community Engagement Community of Practice
- YorkU President’s Sustainability Council
- Black Creek Community Collaborative
- Black Creek Humber Summit Cluster
- Black Creek Food Justice Network