The Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC) is a growing, resource-based organization that strengthens community capacity by providing professional support to organizations and individuals in need. The Centre is committed to helping visible minority youth rekindle their dreams and achieve their full potential.

We take a comprehensive approach to meet the needs of English-speaking youth. By referring to the “Holistic Project” approach through our community service, we recognize that youth have many needs (e.g., socio-cultural, educational, and economic, etc.) that must be addressed for youth to achieve their greatest potential in our society.

Jordan Sparks is a Multimedia Artist, Designer, and Educator based in Toronto, as well as the President of Shining Spark Entertainment Ltd. Sparks has had a fruitful career making engaging multimedia experiences that have been featured by the CBC, Toronto Star, CityNews, Canadian Game Awards, and more, while also sharing his creative knowledge with thousands of people around the world. sharing art and experiences that inspire social change.

In addition to his production roles and independent work, Sparks has spearheaded many educational initiatives through Interactive Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Metropolitan University, Hand Eye Society, and many organizations, as well as formerly was a Professor at Humber College and guest lectured at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College. His mentorship experience has been recognized by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

Sparks acts as the curriculum designer of the Through Our Eyes Program, as well as the instructor and mentor for 2D and 3D creative development. You can discover more about his work at https://GrindSpark.com and learn about his studio at https://ShiningSparkEnt.com.

Kwame “Symbolik” Newman-Bremang is an award-winning New Media experiential artist, 360 Virtual Reality Storyteller, photographer, and serial tech early adopter, who got his start in the Toronto 90s Hip Hop scene. He wrote, recorded, presented live and on in radio, and participated in some of the earliest live theatrical Hip Hop productions. He released musical material, such as his contributions to Crazy Mentall Productions Compilations, his “Breath of Existence” album and vocals on LEN’s “Cryptik Souls Crew” major label release with Sony Music. He is experienced producing Virtual Reality mini documentary narratives, creating video games, and streaming content to the internet.

Kwame Symbolik participated in some of the earliest streams of cultural content to the internet out of Canada, streaming foundational underground Hip Hop, Jazz and Reggae in the late 90s. Kwame Symbolik also created levels and original music for Atari’s N+ video game, making Kwame Symbolik among the first Canadian Hip Hop artist to create theme music for a Canadian video game release. Kwame Symbolik went on to found MixItMedia, a company that tells interactive stories, online and via in person activations, to connect people, places and organizations, to drive real world impact.

Kwame “Symbolik” Newman-Bremang earned his Undergraduate degree in New Media at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), where he focused on Augmented Reality and interactive experiences. He then received his Masters in Interactive Media Production, creating location driven, Augmented Reality productions like “Ghost Catcher”, a haunting story about love, loss, and the human compulsion to defy nature, for mobile devices. This was before Augmented Reality technology became widely adopted by the masses.

Kwame Symbolik is culturally grounded, and believes positive art and creative contributions are key. He is an initiate of Yensumo African Rite of Passage, and lives by the cultural principles highlighted in African Traditional processes, including reciprocity, purpose and community contribution. This is infused in his lifestyle, and the work he does. He has mentored and taught media literacy with organizations such as OYA Black Youth Organization, Woodgreen Rites Of Passage and BCRC Montreal. Whether in his musical, New Media creative, or community work, it is apparent Kwame “Symbolik” Newman-Bremang pushes towards the resurgence of balance through indigenous cultural ways.

Dr. Bryan Carter received his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri-Columbia and is currently the Director of the Center for Digital Humanities and a Professor in Africana Studies, at the University of Arizona. He specializes in African American literature of the 20th Century with a primary focus on the Harlem Renaissance. His research also focuses on Digital Humanities/Africana Studies and Afrofuturism. He has published numerous articles on his doctoral project, Virtual Harlem, an immersive representation of a portion of Harlem, NY as it existed during the 1920s Jazz Age and Harlem Renaissance.

Dr. Carter’s research centers on how the use of traditional and advanced interactive and immersive technologies changes the dynamic within formal or informal learning spaces. Dr. Carter publications include his first book entitled Digital Humanities: Current Perspectives, Practice and Research through Emerald Publishing, and his second manuscript through Routledge Press, entitled: AfroFuturism: Experiencing Culture Through Technology (June 2022). His current work has also led to exploring the African American, and expatriate experience through immersive and augmented technologies using handheld devices and wearable technologies.

Dr. Carter is currently the PI, working with a team of others, on a multi-million-dollar Commerce Department initiative to expand and enhance broadband access to underserved areas around the University of Arizona and its micro-campus sites.

Josh Egamino is a game programmer and Unity developer with several years of professional experience creating interactive 3D and VR experiences. He has a background in Game Programming and extensive experience with Unity and C#, including developing VR training applications and games. In this program, Josh brings a practical, hands-on approach to teaching Unity VR programming, with a focus on building real-world development skills and understanding the tools and techniques used to create immersive VR experiences. You can learn more about Josh’s work at https://www.joshuaegamino.com/