Building Black Success Through Design (BBSD) is a FREE 12-week mentorship access program for Black high school students who are interested in architecture, art, and design. Offered by the Daniels Faculty, this program aims to inspire Black students to pursue excellence and innovation within design industries and academia, enhancing diversity within the field and therefore building Black success through design. Additionally, the work produced by the high school student mentees during the program will be of a caliber suitable to include in their portfolios for consideration in application to post-secondary architecture and design programs. BBSD opens pathways to post-secondary education in the architecture and design fields, including the Daniels Faculty’s undergraduate programs in architectural studies and visual studies.
BBSD is a culturally responsive mentorship program geared toward Black high school students aged 14-18 years old. The program structure offers Black youth the opportunity to be mentored by Black university students in design – akin to peer-mentorship. The 2024 program will have two in-person cohorts, the Architecture cohort and the Creative Arts cohort. Both cohorts will guide mentees through each step of the design process, with a series of lessons and workshops that introduce the concepts, tools and methods used in the architecture and design industries.
On November 8th, at 7pm BBSD will be hosting an online Q&A session to answer questions about the program and application. Please register here to attend this information session. Students, Parents, and community members are welcome to join!
To apply and get more information on the program, please visit the Daniels Faculty Website.
BBSD Sessions will run from January 2024 through April 2024, on the following days:
• Wednesdays from 6:00pm to 7:30pm – All cohorts online - Workshops, informational sessions and lectures will be online
• Saturdays (11:00 am – 4:00 pm) – In-person general program courses
Applications to the program are now open! Apply here by November 17.
If you have any questions, please contact one of the program supervisors:
Clara James (clara.james@daniels.utoronto.ca) OR bbsd@daniels.utoronto.ca.