Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara Tavares.
Hi Lara, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Passionate about technology and its importance in education, I created Sky’s the Limit Youth Organization in 2003 to offer a solution to the digital divide in Canada. The digital divide refers to the gap between people who have access to modern information and communications technology and those who don’t.
We provide refurbished laptops to youth across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, including new immigrants, refugees, First Nations youth, women at risk, street-involved youth, youth with mental health issues and youth with disabilities. We have placed 4,719 computers to date! We provide services to youth regardless of race, gender, religious beliefs or sexual orientation…”Everybody’s kids or nobody’s kids”
The digital divide continues to widen and the impact of the pandemic has only hastened the pace. Despite the hindrances and logistical challenges of the pandemic restrictions, we quickly mobilized during March of 2020 to react to the sudden needs of online learning for our youth. As a result, we’ve been able to quickly get 435 laptops into the hands of youth across the Greater Toronto Area.
Our mission is to provide youth with access to laptop computers, online resources and technology, and training, affording them the possibility of enhanced success and a limitless window of opportunity to be whatever and whoever they dream of becoming. Active computer users can use technology not only to make a difference in their own lives but also in the lives of their families and in their community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like many nonprofit organizations operating during the pandemic, Sky’s the Limit’s primary challenge has been financial. Limited donor budgets have made it difficult to raise enough to meet the needs of the youth we serve. Fortunately, our programming is a well-oiled machine as we rely on our well-established partners to help us to identify our recipients. These partners offer STEM & technology programming for students to expand and heighten their knowledge and skills and we provide the laptops for these students to take home with them. We have led technology camps for youth in Rexdale, Regent Park, Scarborough, and Newmarket and will continue to work with our partners to offer and support camps, workshops, and programming in various aspects of technology including STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), coding, employability, problem solving, program development, female identified and focused STEM, space & aeronautics, and more!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Sky’s the Limit is committed to the health of our planet. Did you know the average functional lifespan of a computer is roughly 2 to 5 years? Traditionally, when a laptop reaches the end of its life it becomes ‘e-waste’. E-waste is disposed of by being left in landfills or burned, neither of which are environmentally friendly options: burning them creates carcinogens, burying them contaminates the ground and water. Sky’s the Limit diverts used computers from landfills by refurbishing donated devices no longer in use by companies and individuals.
Sky’s the Limit acknowledges that we are hosted on the lands of the Mississaugas of the Anishinaabe, the Haundenosaunee Confederacy and the Wendat. We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and the Inuit peoples. We acknowledge our roles as settlers in this land on Turtle Island and we are very grateful.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Be proactive and a life-long learner! Stay abreast of the latest best practices and innovations in your field. Educate yourself on social justice issues that pertain to your community and your work and be mindful of your impact on the environment. Adjust quickly to the needs of your target audience, ensuring that the work you do is the most meaningful that you can provide and the most beneficial to the populations you serve.
Contact Info:
- Email: lara@stlonline.org
- Website: www.stlonline.org
- Instagram: @stlonline
- Facebook: @skysthelimitorg
- Other: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/skys-the-limit-youth-organization/
