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News & Media
Stephen’s activism has been featured on National TV and Newspapers by CBC, CP24, CTV, Global News, the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and many more. He is also a regular media contributor speaking on youth issues as well as Municipal and Provincial affairs.
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TORONTO STAR - Youth advocacy group calls for mental health days for Ontario students
Stephen is leading the charge calling on the Government of Ontario to allow students to be absent from school for mental or behavioural health reasons; under an excused absence as outlined in the Education Act.
TORONTO STAR - Where is the commitment to youth by Toronto’s mayoral candidates?
Stephen’s FIRST op-ed published in the Toronto Star. He wrote on the need to ensure youth in Toronto are able to live and grow in healthy and safe communities; communities with a bounty of opportunity rather than overwhelming poverty and violence.
TORONTO STAR - City’s youth cabinet, school boards call on Olivia Chow to invest in Toronto’s young people
Stephen spearheaded efforts to advocate for a more youth-friendly City Budget. He brought together the TDSB and TCDSB to support his cause leading to additional funding for youth hubs, Youth Violence Prevention Grants, increased youth employment opportunities and more
TVO Today - Is Protest the Future of Democracy?
Stephen was part of an expert panel to consider the risks and opportunities for democratic and civic engagement. He discussed protest as a democratic right as well as ways to boost democratic legitimacy, focusing on the youth perspective, He delved into the need to combine protesting with other civic efforts within the system to create sustainable change
City News - ‘Troubling on multiple levels’: Black history education in Ontario left up to teacher’s discretion
Stephen spoke to City News regarding the urgent need to have mandatory Black History in Ontario’s Curriculum to reflect the contributions of Black individuals to Canada.
CP24 - Student and youth groups call for free menstrual products on post-secondary campuses
Stephen led the charge bringing together all of Ontario’s 44 College and University Student Unions calling for the Government to require University and Colleges to provide free menstrual products campus wide. This is a continuation of his previous successful advocacy getting the government to commit to free menstrual products in Ontario elementary and secondary schools.
CP24 - Toronto to prioritize TDSB schools requiring programming, supports after violence
Stephen spoke to CP24 on the need to address young people’s worsening socio-economic conditions by investing in upstream, community-driven solutions such as youth employment, food insecurity and additional social programs.
HuffPost - Black Students Still Face ‘Toxic’ Racism Despite Decades Of ‘Solutions’ In Ontario
Stephen spoke to HuffPost about his joint statement, released with multiple provincial stakeholders, calling on the Government of Ontario to address anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in Ontario schools. Specifically, the statement urges the Ministry of Education to mandate the expedited collection of disaggregated race-based data by Ontario school boards and to include age-appropriate Black history education in the curriculum as a mandatory education requirement.
Toronto Star - Advocates, teacher unions call for free school breakfast, lunch for Ontario students
Stephen’s advocacy led to the Ontario Government investing an additional $15 million to Student Nutrition Programs, representing the first significant increase in funding for the program in a decade