SFSP Annual Awards

The SFSP Awards Ceremony serves as a platform to extend recognition and appreciation to the brilliant students whose creative work fostered meaningful engagement around the problem of racism and hatred. The ceremony is also a chance to network and exchange ideas with peers, partners and other thought leaders in the ecosystem.

The 2025 SFSP Awards

2025 is the year we’re taking our annual SFSP Awards to a whole new level. In addition to the customary awards that honour youth participants, teachers, and their communities, we’re asking this year’s participants to ‘Bring Your A-game.’ With the growth in participation and impact, we expect an increase in attendance and therefore believe this event will be a truly unmissable opportunity to connect, celebrate, and be inspired.

ABEEL Annual SFSP Awards

The key participants are creative high school students, educators, and communities whose ideas tackle the underlying issues of systemic racism in new and innovative ways. In ways that allow everyone to better embrace the Black Experience. The breakout of these customary awards are directly communicated to the focused schools.

Business Pitch Competition

This competition is open to the wider community but is limited to those under the age of 40. Participants will have the opportunity to pitch their brilliant business ideas for a chance to access our seed investment allocation of at least $5,000, one-on-one/small group discussions, mentorship and coaching with C-suite executives, and invaluable networking opportunities.

Silent Auction

This exciting event will showcase a stunning collection of creatives or services by the ABEEL Family (specifically current high schoolers, alumni, and members of their social circle); each piece reflecting unique perspectives and artistic expressions. Participants will have the opportunity to place bids on various pieces, both virtually and in person, making it accessible to a wide audience. Whether you’re an enthusiast or a casual admirer, this event promises a vibrant atmosphere filled with creativity, connection, and the thrill of competition.

ABEEL Alumni Awards

This segment will provide an opportunity to recognize former ABEEL SFSP participants, now in post-secondary careers, for the innovative ways they continue to spread love by embracing the Black experience along their journeys. The top three applicants will each receive bursaries of up to $1000 toward their education.

Stay tuned on how to register for the business pitch and silent auction segments.

⁠Considering we are in focused communities, If you would like to be part of the SFSP High school Program for this year, please connect with us via email, with the name of your school and information for a supporting school staff.

⁠Considering we are in focused communities, If you would like to be part of the SFSP High School Program for this year, please connect with us via email, with the name of your school and information for a supporting school staff.

Shaping the Future Sponsorship Program

The SFSP is an ABEEL initiative developed to encourage students to take an active role in creating a world that holistically and sustainably embraces the Black Experience.

Our mission with the Shaping the Future Sponsorship Program is to dismantle racial barriers and empower youth by nurturing a sense of belonging and equal access to status. We aim to provide access to opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach, fostering a fundamental transformation for personal and professional growth.

Students are given the opportunity to imagine the world anew- a world in which there is equity for every member of an underserved community, and thereafter through youth advocacy, employability, and mental health access, they are given the tools to turn that dream into reality.

The Shaping the Future Sponsorship Program offers support to its participants by:

Providing bursaries and other forms of financial assistance to youths (particularly Black youths in Canadian high schools or those seeking equivalent educational certificates in Canada) for use in post-secondary education.
Providing youth mentorship, work placements, training programs, and access to networking opportunities with leading organisations.
Providing youth access to psychosocial and life skills programs (including financial literacy and mental health awareness programs).
Empowering youth participants (specifically Canadian high school students or those seeking equivalent educational certificates in Canada). We support Black and Non-Black youths who desire to take intentional steps in embracing the Black experience.