Change the Narrative
Donation protected
We hope to give away over 6,000 QTBIPOC centering books to local children from under resourced schools.
For the Love of our Children
For seven years, Old’s Cool General Store has been on a mission to build a community rooted in social justice principles. We advocate specifically for inclusive books because the representation of our realities continues to be neglected. We believe change begins with proper representation, and today less than 10% of children’s books published annually depict QT BIPOC characters and far fewer make it to our schools. Over the years, we’ve donated over 1000 books centering on QT BIPOC characters.
Our goal is to increase representation which will result in more inclusive communities.
A $25.00 donation makes it possible for us to donate one book to one child.
The “Change the Narrative” book fund aims to raise a total of $100,000 so that we can give diverse books to children at schools that are the least resourced in Toronto’s east end. Every child will receive books to take home and share with their circles. The schools we are partnering with are diverse, boasting over 50% (to 99%) ESL, Indigenous or Black representation.
We are here because we know all children deserve to feel seen, loved and properly represented.
We are calling on all people who want to help build inclusion deeply into the fabric of our society. It starts with our children. Think globally and act locally!
PROJECT PARTNERS:
The Freedom School 200 children
Secord ES 653 students
George Webster PS 707 students
Crescent Town PS 525 students
DA Morrison JH 472 students
Wandering Spirit 183 students
School for Indigenous Children
The TDSB Community Liaison Office
The Story Behind the Project:
Almost two years ago one of our friends, local parent and teacher at Secord ES, collected free books from the Children’s Book Bank for her students to take home, particularly because of lack of access during COVID. After receiving 700 books, she found that most of them centred on white, able-bodied, cis-gendered children. She was dismayed to find out that most of the books that were available for donation did not look anything like the children she served. We talked about her school having over 75% racialized children and how few resources in publishing empower the children that look like them/us.
This was the seed from which this project grew. We are approaching the summer break and would love to send kids home with some summer reading. COVID has presented our kids with challenges us adults haven't had to navigate, especially children who go to underfunded schools. This, coupled with the fact that COVID has disproportionately affected equity deserving children, we think a project like this could spread a lot of good cheer!
Restorative Justice Training:
To create an understanding of restorative justice and healing (part of Zahra’s expertise and daily work) and as part of this project to build inclusive communities, we will make RJ training available to teachers, students and parents’ councils at all of these schools.
Restorative justice views “harm” as a fracturing of relationships, rather than something that demands punishment. A restorative justice process is a way to uncover true needs and heal relationships via meaningful accountability. Restorative Circles effectively build a community where people feel connected and develop communal ownership of conflicts. This kind of connectedness creates an environment where authentic engagement and deep learning can happen.
A restorative approach can help school communities avoid the need for exclusionary discipline and reduce repeated offenses. As the statistics continue to show that the most punitive forms of discipline are used against BIPOC children, teaching a restorative approach will make the schools kinder and safer, especially for BIPOC children. We have built a partnership with the Toronto District School Board Community Liaison who will help to organize the Restorative Circles.
About Old’s Cool General Store
Old’s Cool General Store (OCGS) is a mission-driven community and social justice retail hub. Since 2015, OCGS has been doing work to create a strong, resilient community founded on principles of anti-oppression and healing. We do all kinds of activism that centre on QT BIPOC people and over the last seven years, we have built a large following of social justice-driven people in Toronto.
We fund all of our community work primarily through social enterprise or pro bono. We are the first “boutique” Community Centre and Old’s Cool has become a beloved intersectional community hub.
From day one of our existence, we have operated from an intersectional, intergenerational and restorative approach. We work with schools, residences for the elderly, Indigenous, Black, racialized, LGBTQ, newcomer and various other equity deserving groups within our community.
We stand for upliftment and empowerment of under-represented voices/identities (we belong to many of these communities and have lived experiences of marginalization). We believe that representation matters and it is reflected in everything we do.
Watch our Video Series Mass Exposure
Mass Exposure Story 1 : The Swings Dear parents
Mass Exposure Story 2 : Bodies are Cool
Mass Exposure Story 3: Impressions Your Words and more so your Lifestyle are making an Indelible Impression
Mass Exposure Story 4: Collective Fire
Our Campaign that Aims to Educate
The TDSB Community Liaison Office
The Story Behind the Project:
Almost two years ago one of our friends, local parent and teacher at Secord ES, collected free books from the Children’s Book Bank for her students to take home, particularly because of lack of access during COVID. After receiving 700 books, she found that most of them centred on white, able-bodied, cis-gendered children. She was dismayed to find out that most of the books that were available for donation did not look anything like the children she served. We talked about her school having over 75% racialized children and how few resources in publishing empower the children that look like them/us.
This was the seed from which this project grew. We are approaching the summer break and would love to send kids home with some summer reading. COVID has presented our kids with challenges us adults haven't had to navigate, especially children who go to underfunded schools. This, coupled with the fact that COVID has disproportionately affected equity deserving children, we think a project like this could spread a lot of good cheer!
Restorative Justice Training:
To create an understanding of restorative justice and healing (part of Zahra’s expertise and daily work) and as part of this project to build inclusive communities, we will make RJ training available to teachers, students and parents’ councils at all of these schools.
Restorative justice views “harm” as a fracturing of relationships, rather than something that demands punishment. A restorative justice process is a way to uncover true needs and heal relationships via meaningful accountability. Restorative Circles effectively build a community where people feel connected and develop communal ownership of conflicts. This kind of connectedness creates an environment where authentic engagement and deep learning can happen.
A restorative approach can help school communities avoid the need for exclusionary discipline and reduce repeated offenses. As the statistics continue to show that the most punitive forms of discipline are used against BIPOC children, teaching a restorative approach will make the schools kinder and safer, especially for BIPOC children. We have built a partnership with the Toronto District School Board Community Liaison who will help to organize the Restorative Circles.
About Old’s Cool General Store
Old’s Cool General Store (OCGS) is a mission-driven community and social justice retail hub. Since 2015, OCGS has been doing work to create a strong, resilient community founded on principles of anti-oppression and healing. We do all kinds of activism that centre on QT BIPOC people and over the last seven years, we have built a large following of social justice-driven people in Toronto.
We fund all of our community work primarily through social enterprise or pro bono. We are the first “boutique” Community Centre and Old’s Cool has become a beloved intersectional community hub.
From day one of our existence, we have operated from an intersectional, intergenerational and restorative approach. We work with schools, residences for the elderly, Indigenous, Black, racialized, LGBTQ, newcomer and various other equity deserving groups within our community.
We stand for upliftment and empowerment of under-represented voices/identities (we belong to many of these communities and have lived experiences of marginalization). We believe that representation matters and it is reflected in everything we do.
Watch our Video Series Mass Exposure
Mass Exposure Story 1 : The Swings Dear parents
Mass Exposure Story 2 : Bodies are Cool
Mass Exposure Story 3: Impressions Your Words and more so your Lifestyle are making an Indelible Impression
Mass Exposure Story 4: Collective Fire
Our Campaign that Aims to Educate
Organizer
Zahra Dhanani
Organizer
East York, ON
