Phil Anth: Humanitarian apparel company launched by local student
It's not every day that a high school student launches a clothing line as a way to make a positive impact, not profit. The student is Brampton's Youssef Eid, and his company is called Phil Anth — a social enterprise that ACCESS is pleased to be supporting. Fuse Brampton provided Youssef with support and startup funds. ACCESS connected Phil Anth with initial custom orders including Impact Tomorrow and Redwood Studio. Now, Phil Anth will be focusing on growing a unique line of their own.
This shirt supports a student conference and a student social entrepreneur at the same time! http://t.co/F1p8LJ5hNo pic.twitter.com/OULRNoGCZb
— ACCESS innovation (@accesscharity) March 22, 2015
The full inspiration behind Phil Anth
As told by founder Youssef Eid
"A couple years ago I went on vacation with my Dad to Aruba. We thought it'd be great to rent a car and explore the country. The trip started off amazing, the scenery, palm trees, happy tourists. Then we got lost and winded up in a small impoverished village. The images I have tucked away in my memory are so vivid: red dirt roads, broken homes, donkeys as transportation, it was exactly what you would see in poverty commercials for charities. The houses were beaten down, made of rock, without windows, no electricity. I couldn't believe it when I saw families, mothers, and their children living inside these homes. Like most when they see poverty, I tried my best to look away, but no matter where I looked in this village, I saw the same conditions.
The rest of my vacation was fine as I tried my best not to think of what I saw. I didn't want it to ruin my vacation but no matter how hard I tried my mental images kept creeping back. So on our flight home from Aruba, the plane started to shake, it felt like nothing at first. Then it happened, the plane fell through the sky for 10 seconds in severe turbulence. I remember VERY clearly passengers floating in the air, their cellphones, I-Pods...all floating. If you've ever watched an episode of Mayday on Discovery channel, the experience was exactly the same. The man sitting beside me held his wife's hand and yelled "we're going to be okay honey" as I sat in my seat, calm. There wasn't time to panic, my thoughts started racing through my mind. All I've accomplished thus far, and then a mental image of the village popped up and stuck. The plane landed with several injured: sprained necks, broken arms, etc. Paramedics were in the airport ready for when the plane landed. I knew I needed to do something about the poverty I saw. For months I thought: what if that plane were to crash? I've always wanted to create impact, but I had no clue what type and how. But after that day in the back of my mind, I knew what I needed to do. It took a couple of months to get over the experience. Then in the summer I contacted the Brampton Entrepreneur Centre and connected with Lisa Rosetti. We sat down a few times and developed the idea together. That was over 6 months ago. Ever since, I've been developing the idea, the products, and the process. That way it's something I can be proud of, and highly effective in terms of impact.
Most ask me why I chose clothing, the truth is, I didn't choose to sell clothing because I love fashion, I chose it because it's visual, and a way to show art on a moving poster: our bodies. I wanted something people could talk about, and putting a story behind it through youth designs with Eclypse, and our concept gives more reason to. I realized we're not in the business of selling shirts, we're in the business of selling stories. At the end of the day I'm not a fashion designer. I've never cared about what I wear. I see this as the start, it's the model of giving through day to day purchases that I'd like to exploit. Imagine going to the supermarket to purchase groceries at the same price, knowing you're changing the world."
We've eliminated the need for change rooms, brick and mortars, and the nasty 5x markups of this industry. Replacing it...
Posted by Phil Anth Clothing Co. on Saturday, August 8, 2015
Phil Anth is now participating in the City of Brampton's Summer Company program, with funding from the Ontario government.
Learn more about Phil Anth by visiting philanth.ca. Follow on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Inspiring a Community of Creators: A Collaborative Approach to Teaching Code
Cipher is on a mission to make coding education universal, free and life-changing for youth
Cipher is an innovative youth-led code-oriented community for secondary school students in the Peel Region. The program was created by 4 high schools students and ACCESS is excited to be supporting this innovative concept, after it was presented at Impact Tomorrow's Pitch Competition.
The community the students have created around Cipher will work in tandem to explore, experiment and hack with various programming languages, fostering an engaging community through a season of Cipher Circles and a conference entitled Campfire. An innovation on traditional education, Cipher adopts the element of community from school, but breaks the student-teacher hierarchy, opting for peer-to-peer learning. Consequently, the community offers a more effective model of learning, while maintaining the crucial element of collaboration.
Cipher will introduce enough of a particular language in order for one to hack together a small project, but not delve into mastering it. When learning a programming language, there is exponential growth at first, but it quickly plateaus. Cipher wants to continually hit that stride over a variety of languages.
"Imagine learning to code in a social, inspiring, competitive atmosphere. That's Cipher."
Cipher's primary program is a pilot season that will launch in September. A season is an eight-month term consisting of sessions labeled Cipher Circles. The timeline for each series of Circles will be flexible, accommodating the needs of the community and featuring a different concept/programming language for each series. Cipher Circles will be held at Redwood Marketplace in Brampton.
Cipher's Campfire Conference will be held this August with the aim of discussing community-centric learning with students in the Region of Peel. Speakers will present on topics pertaining to community, education, programming and technology. Cipher promotes learning through an inclusive community; speakers are encouraged to evoke that same atmosphere. We want you to help us create a community of forward-thinkers within the Peel Region. Help us crack the code.
You have the drive, ability and smarts to be a changemaker, we just want to help make it happen.
Learn more about Cipher and sign up for their launch announcement at ProjectCipher.ca.
Join ACCESS at TEDxYouth, Prom Expo and Youth Workshops
Within the next 3 weeks, ACCESS is pleased to be involved with 3 exciting youth events hosted in Peel Region. ACCESS invites you to attend TEDxYouth@Brampton, The Prom Expo, and Speak Up for Change Workshop Series all between now and March 1.
Speak Up for Change Workshops
Tuesday February 18 and 25, 2014
The Speak Up for Change Workshop Series for youth looking to make a positive difference continues this month, co-hosted with STEP. Register for these free workshops on taking the next step, Stepping Up (February 18) and on the power of partnerships, Partnerships and Mentors (February 25) both held in Brampton at South Fletcher's from 4:30–6:30 pm. Free Public Transit and Refreshments will be provided.
The Prom Expo
Saturday February 22, 2014
For students attending Prom or Semi Formals (either this year or next, it's never too early to get prepared), The Prom Expo is an amazing event for students by students, with proceeds supporting ACCESS! Tickets for the Prom Fashion Show and many Local Vendors are available online right here. Saturday, February 22 at the Riverstone Golf & Country Club in Brampton. For more on this event and its relationship to ACCESS, read this announcement.
TEDxYouth@Brampton
Saturday March 1, 2014
Through the theme Redefining Normal, the first-ever TEDxYouth@Brampton will empower youth to lead creative, self-satisfying lives that will enable them to look beyond the conventional forms of living. The conference's speakers range from Noble Lauriets to charismatic leaders, who all share a single vision: to share their ideas in the hopes to alter our mindset. The event will be held at St. Marguerite d'Youville Secondary School. Tickets are available right now online here. To learn more about ACCESS support of TEDxYouth@Brampton, please read this announcement.
Redefining Normal: ACCESS presents TEDxYouth@Brampton
Brampton's first-ever TEDx event for youth is being hosted on March 1, 2014 by a group of local youth. Sponsored by ACCESS, the theme is Redefining Normal. The event will focus on empowering youth to lead creative, self-satisfying lives that will enable them to look beyond the conventional forms of living.
TEDxYouth@Brampton will be taking place at St. Marguerite d'Youville Secondary School. The March 1 date will connect it with other TEDxYouth events worldwide.
Ideas worth spreading
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED created TEDx, a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience in their community. The official title, TEDxYouth@Brampton, indicates the event is directed towards youth in the Brampton-area, but we also hope the talks will inspire those of all ages, in all regions as well.
Live speakers and TED Talk videos will combine to spark in-depth discussions related to the theme, Redefining Normal. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.
Redefining Normal
Adolescents and young adults are faced with the monumental challenge of determining their fate. They have been told by parents, teachers, and society what a "normal" life should look like, which leads them to set off into the world, constraint by vision blinders, never realizing to the full extent what life can offer. The TEDxYouth@Brampton event focuses on equipping today's youth with the wisdom to create a life for themselves that falls on the positive sidelines of normal.
The youth organizing the event strive to empower audience members to look beyond what has been done, and focus on what can be. It can only be through constant disapproval of our system that real change and happiness can be captured.
The conference's speakers range from Noble Lauriets to charismatic leaders, who all share a single vision: to share their ideas in the hopes to alter our mindset. These Speakers and Entertainers are being announced weekly leading up to the event at tedxyouthbrampton.com.
Tickets are now available online here.
About ACCESS ACCESS is a youth-lead, non-profit organization that educates, empowers, and inspires youth to drive positive change. Currently based in Brampton and Toronto, ACCESS is run by a dedicated group of youth, ranging from high-school to university students and recent graduates. Originally founded to help students access education in developing countries, ACCESS has grown to focus on social innovation and youth social entrepreneurship, continuing to empower youth to create change locally and globally.
Milestone event by Students, for Students: Prom Expo 2014 partners with ACCESS
ACCESS is pleased to partner with Prom Expo 2014, a new and exciting event run by students, for students, coming to Brampton on February 22. Prom Expo is completely executed by students, who want to give back to their community. It is an event where youth showcase their talents, strengths, and creativity in an environment where they are challenged and motivated to show their personal best.
Students helping students
This year, Prom Expo is proud to support ACCESS – a youth run not-for-profit organization inspiring local youth to create social change within their communities. A portion of the event's proceeds will be donated directly to ACCESS, which will benefit local youth workshops and school programs.
Solid student involvement
Local high school students can Volunteer directly with the Prom Expo team, a group of university and college students who have specialized in Fashion, Marketing, Communications or Design. Students will work together to plan and execute the entire Prom Expo, ultimately creating an environment where they can learn more about the industry and gain the experience necessary to succeed in their future endeavours. Local high school students can apply to be in the show as a Model, where they will also be given the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the fashion industry.
Contributing to a memorable student experience
By attending Prom Expo 2014, students and their parents can look forward to saving time and money. They will have the opportunity to interact with vendors and learn more about the products and services they need for an unforgettable prom experience. Prom Expo features vendors from across the Brampton, Mississauga, and Vaughan communities. There will be a Fashion Show featuring dresses, hair, and make-up from local vendors, highlighting all of the upcoming trends for Prom 2014.
Interested Vendors and Advertisers should contact info@promexpo.ca. Along with a portion of ticket sales, Advertising Sales also support ACCESS.
Fundraising opportunity for all
By selling tickets to Prom Expo 2014 in their own schools, students are able to raise money for both ACCESS and their school's prom or extracurricular activities. Interested Schools, Prom Committees or Student Councils should contact prom@accesscharity.ca to receive further Fundraising details.
For more information on the Prom Expo, please visit promexpo.ca. For more information on ACCESS, please visit accesscharity.ca.
Media Contacts
Chantelle Bianchi, Marketing & Communications, Prom Expo chantelle@promexpo.ca | 647-215-9916 | promexpo.ca
Daniel Francavilla, Executive Director, ACCESS daniel@accesscharity.ca | 647-893-7504 | accesscharity.ca
Youth Workshop Series offers youth a chance to step up
ACCESS is working with Brampton student-run group STEP to present a helpful workshop series for local youth, to be hosted in February 2014. ACCESS extends its online Speak Up for Change blog program by facilitating such in-person workshops. The goal of these free workshops are to provide youth in the Peel Region with the opportunity to become aware of their potential to take action and collaborate.
"There are a great deal of people out there that need assistance from others, and there are also a great deal of people that have the ability to provide that assistance. Some of whom may have the necessary good intentions and ideas, but not the ability to implement them," shared Vithuran Sukumar, VP of STEP.
"We hope that by holding these workshops, we can help others create their own projects, so that we would be able to, even in an indirect manor, help even more people," expressed Vithuran.
Registration for each workshop is free at the links below or SUFC.ca/Workshops. Youth can participate in one or all of the sessions, at no cost.
Winter Workshop Series
Workshops for youth looking to make a difference
- December 10 | What: Determining Your Drive
- February | How: Stepping Up
- February | Who: Partnerships and Mentors
"As a young grassroots group, the STEP team has been working with ACCESS to develop and strengthen their student-run organization," Daniel Francavilla, founder of ACCESS, shared. "Several months later, we were pleased to provide STEP with the opportunity to develop and plan this workshop series."
For more on the December Speak Up for Change Workshop series, or to register, please visit SUFC.ca/Workshops.
Contact sufcworkshops@accesscharity.ca with any questions.
About ACCESS
ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education is a youth-run, non-profit organization that facilitates education and empathetic leadership development through initiatives that engage, inspire, and motivate youth to drive positive change, locally and globally. ACCESS envisions the empowerment of generations of leaders through education in order to inspire meaningful development in their own communities.
Youth in Action grant will allow Peel youth to use Arts for Change
ACCESS has received a Youth in Action Grant from the United Way of Peel Region and Region of Peel to host the Arts for Change Talent Show. Annually the Youth in Action Grant is awarded to recognize youth in Peel between ages 14 and 24 that are making a positive impact in their community through various projects. This marks the third consecutive year that these grants have been awarded; in 2010 ACCESS received the grant for its Youth Making a Difference Workshop.
“It is great to see so many youth making a difference in their community,” says Amanda Bordonaro, Co-Chair of the Youth in Action Review Panel and Executive Member of United Way’s Young Leaders Council. “All of the grant recipients have demonstrated tremendous leadership and it is important that we recognize and nurture their achievements. The youth are the future leaders of Peel Region. It is an amazing feeling to know that there are so many young people dedicated to making a positive impact in the region.”
The grant in the amount of $2000 will fund this year's Arts for Change Talent Show, with proceeds going towards local ACCESS projects. The community partner selected to administer the grant with ACCESS is Rapport Youth & Family Services.
The program was developed by United Way of Peel Region’s Young Leaders Council, a group of volunteers between the ages of 20-35 years old who are committed to creating a legacy of volunteerism and spirited giving within the Peel Region.
Details on the 2012 spring Arts for Change Talent Show will be announced in the coming months. For more information on ACCESS' local projects, visit the Youth Programming page and check accesscharity.ca/artsforchange for show updates.
About ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education, Inc. ACCESS is a youth-run organization aiming to provide needy children in the developing world with school uniforms and necessary school supplies, enabling them with the opportunity to obtain an education for a successful life. ACCESS also aims to educate North American youth about related world issues, and to inspire them to make a difference globally. More information about ACCESS is available here.
Media Inquires: info@accesscharity.ca | 647-893-7504 Partnership or Sponsorship: mark@accesscharity.ca Talent Show + Youth Programs: ann@accesscharity.ca
Ontario Trillium Foundation grant helping youth to make a difference
MISSISSAUGA, ON – ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education, Inc. is delighted to announce that they have received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation in support of local youth development programs. The funding, to be granted over two years, will build the capacity of this youth-led organization to expand local programming, including the Speak Up for Change program and the spring Youth Making a Difference Conference, so that youth will become more socially aware and engaged in the Region of Peel. Funding will also support staffing and operational expenses to further organizational growth and program delivery.
"The Ontario Trillium Foundation is helping to empower young people to become problem solvers in their own communities, said Louroz Mercader, Board Chair. "This grant will maximize the impact of our efforts, encourage innovation and inspire life-long engagements through volunteerism."
ACCESS, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in March 2011, has a dedicated team of youth and advisors ready to take action and make a positive impact.
"Receiving significant financial support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation is a huge step forward for ACCESS, particularly as a youth-run organization," stated Daniel Francavilla, who founded the organization as a high school student in 2006. "I am very excited about implementing the incredible ideas and initiatives our team has been planning."
"I am pleased that this grant will provide ACCESS with funding for an office location, staffing and an opportunity to expand their youth programming," said Linda Jeffrey, MPP for Brampton-Springdale. "Their dedication to help local students become active community members as well as assisting students in the developing world is commendable."
ACCESS looks forward to expanding its programming as the organization continues to make positive change both locally and abroad.
About ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education, Inc. ACCESS is a youth-run organization aiming to provide needy children in the developing world with school uniforms and necessary school supplies, enabling them with the opportunity to obtain an education for a successful life. ACCESS also aims to educate North American youth about related world issues, and to inspire them to make a difference globally. More information about ACCESS is available here.
Media Inquires: info@accesscharity.ca | 647-893-7504 Partnership or Sponsorship: mark@accesscharity.ca