Driven by a belief in empowering youth, Nebiyou (Neb) Timotewos is making a significant impact through diverse initiatives. As a member of the TELUS Montreal Community Board, Neb collaborates with a passionate team to allocate $600,000 annually to grassroots programs that address the basic needs and skill development of children. At McGill University, they serve as program coordinators for Pick Your Path for Black Youth, connecting CÉGEP students with mentors to inspire higher education. They are also deeply involved with École Sans Police, a collective reimagining schools as safe spaces free from systemic harm and institutional violence. These initiatives reflect Neb’s unwavering commitment to fostering equity and opportunity for marginalized youth in Montreal.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
I am on the TELUS Montreal Community Board and a program coordinator for Pick Your Path for Black Youth at McGill University. I am also a member of École Sans Police, a collective of students, parents, educators, and community members committed to making schools a safer space for kids who have historically been victimized by carceral and institutional violence through the education system.
What problem does it aim to solve?
I am involved with the TELUS Montreal Community Board and the Pick Your Path for Black Youth. I work alongside passionate colleagues who care about investing in the youth and their potential. This year, the Montreal Community Board has allocated 600,000$ to grassroots youth-focused initiatives providing children and youth with basic needs and life-building skills. From free school supplies to creative arts programs, these projects serve to positively and permanently shape the lives of youth who need it most.
On the academic level, the Pick Your Path program aims to connect Black CÉGEP students with a McGill student in a field of their choosing. Through learning and community, Pick Your Path for Black Youth encourages young Black students to pursue higher education.
École Sans Police aims to end harmful and ineffective ways of educating and interacting with youth who simply need more support, care and resources. Schools need to be better equipped in terms of dealing with racism, bullying, and administrative violence that Black, racialized, and youth without status face on a daily basis in an institution that purports to provide an enriching learning experience and essential savoir-faire. To do that, the organization advocates for schools to be better funded by redirecting government funding away from carceral solutions towards social services. That way, more youth can access basic needs and safe institutions that will shape them into the adults of tomorrow.
When did you start/join it?
I joined École Sans Police as I was working for Head and Hands, another local community organization, as a Legal Assistant Coordinator. In 2022, I was tasked with drafting an anti-racism policy for schools with École Sans Police. From there, I have met and gotten along with other folks with similar goals and values; the rest is history! After starting law school, to my great surprise, I received the TELUS student bursary. Due to my local community involvement, Marine Groulx, from the TELUS Montreal Community Board, approached me to join a team of like-minded and diverse community members who believe in investing in youth care and services. I did not hesitate! I attended my first community board meeting on September 13th. I became a PYP mentor during my first year of law school in 2023 and joined the programming team in the fall of 2024.
What made you want to get involved?
Allowing youth to explore their interests and develop character-building skills is key to ensuring their positive flourishment despite differing circumstances, such as health concerns, financial precarity, and systemic oppression. The Community Board offers additional funding to charities supporting children in health or education-focused programs across Montréal.
Many issues young people are experiencing are now linked to how society sees them and treats them accordingly. Because of historical injustices and a lack of resources, youth experience a heightened level of harm within institutions meant for education and socialization. École Sans Police is dedicated to ensuring that children feel safe from criminalization and violence in their own schools. Along with that, other public services youth receive, such as healthcare, are also challenging to navigate. I believe in fact-driven solutions that prioritize care as opposed to surveillance and violence.
For both of my community involvements, the same sentiment drives me—the treatment we receive as youth shapes our lives in unimaginable and permanent ways. What we sow in youth care today is what we reap from citizens in the future. All of my community involvements are rooted in this base belief.
What was the situation like when you started?
When I first became interested in social impact projects in late 2021, I had just graduated from École Internationale de Montréal. I noticed the privilege I had because of the high school I attended after leaving the under-resourced neighbourhood I was born in. The quality of my education and the treatment I received throughout my high school education were positively correlated with access to certain school districts that have historically been inaccessible to Black and racialized families. Unfortunately, today, Black youth still experience discrimination in schools. I believe that the connections I’ve built with the community I aim to support have made a meaningful impact, even if it’s just in one person’s life. Connecting with marginalized students and giving them the tools to name and dismantle the harm they experience has been a heartwarming experience for me. Conversation can spark a ripple effect of critical action. As long as a sense of community is present, everything can grow from there.
How has it changed since?
Within the Montreal Community Board, I have participated in two meetings where we approved over $ 300,000 for youth-focused health and education programs for youth-focused health, education and technology programs. I have the privilege to directly support causes that are near and dear to my heart. I am very excited to continue learning about the life-changing community work of inspiring organizations within and outside Montréal.
In PYP, I was a mentor during my first year of law and connected with amazing students and mentors. I still cherish these relationships to this day. For this year, I am looking forward to facilitating those life-long connections and growth.
In April of 2023, École Sans Police organized a town hall discussion concerning racism in schools within the Notre-Dame-De-Grâce and Côte-des-Neiges area. A lot of passionate community members, such as students and parents, engaged in meaningful and supportive conversations about the racism their children, their friends, and themselves experience in and around schools. Occasionally, we facilitate workshops and join discussions furthering our goals of a safer society for marginalized communities. We have also met and worked with other organizations and efforts to advocate for non-violent, effective, and imaginative ways to combat systemic racism. Though quieter for now, we remain dedicated to our goal.
What more needs to be done?
Awareness is still the primary goal. The general population needs to be made aware of what programs or lack thereof affect the well-being of youth. Advocacy efforts and accessible information are essential to working towards that.
How can our readers help?
The TELUS Canadian Community Boards are accepting applications starting on January 6th, 2025. If you know of caritative projects that support the health and education of youth, let them know that the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation can offer up to 20,000$ in funding. Applications close on January 31st, 2025. Applications also open quarterly throughout the year. Visit FriendlyFuture.com for further details on the eligibility guidelines and application process.
If you want to get involved more locally, stay informed about different policies happening within schools around you. It is always great to get involved by joining school boards, student organizations, and community organizations looking for volunteers!
Where can we follow you?
You can follow the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation on Instagram and Facebook.
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
The Black Healing Fund is a grassroots, volunteer-run initiative based in Montreal that began in 2021 amid the global re-emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement. It addresses the urgent need for accessible mental health care in response to systemic racism and generational trauma faced by Black communities across Canada by removing financial barriers to wellness services. The Black Healing Fund also partners with Black mental health experts and counsellors to ensure folks access mental health care in a way that is tailored to their identity and true to their needs.
