5 Essential Soft Skills Every High School Student Should Develop for Future Success
About Roots to Routes Academy
How Roots to Routes Academy Prepares Black Students for College & Career Success
March 28, 2025
Imagine your child—bright, curious, full of potential—walking into a classroom where they don’t see themselves reflected in the curriculum. Where their history is reduced to a footnote, their identity is treated as an afterthought, and their brilliance is overlooked because the system wasn’t built for them.
This isn’t just a fear—it’s a documented reality for many Black students in Ontario.
- Black students are disproportionately streamed into non-academic tracks, limiting their college and career opportunities (Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2020).
- Only 53% of Black students feel they belong in their schools, compared to 74% of their white peers (People for Education, 2021).
- Systemic biases lead to lower expectations, with Black students often underestimated even when they excel (Toronto District School Board, 2017).
This is why Roots to Routes Academy exists. We are more than a school—we are a movement. A movement that refuses to let Black brilliance be stifled by a system that wasn’t designed for us.
Here’s how we prepare students not just for college and careers, but for a lifetime of success, confidence, and unshakable self-worth.
Academic Excellence – Building a Foundation for College Success
The Problem:
Many Black students are pushed into lower academic streams, leaving them unprepared for university. Even when they qualify, they often face culture shock in post-secondary environments where they are underrepresented and undervalued.
Our Solution:
At Roots to Routes Academy, we don’t just meet Ontario’s academic standards—we exceed them while ensuring students see themselves in their education.
1. Personalized Learning That Works
- Small class sizes (max 15 students per teacher) ensure no child gets left behind.
- Customized lesson plans that adapt to each student’s strengths and challenges.
- No more “one-size-fits-all” teaching—because we know every Black child learns differently.
2. A Curriculum That Celebrates Black Brilliance
- History lessons that go beyond slavery and colonialism—highlighting African empires, Black inventors, and global Black contributions.
- Literature classes featuring Black authors, poets, and thinkers.
- Math and science taught through real-world applications relevant to Black communities (e.g., financial literacy, tech innovation in Africa & the diaspora).
3. College Prep That Actually Prepares
- Dual-credit programs where students earn college credits while in high school.
- Advanced Placement (AP) courses to boost university applications.
- University application workshops—how to write personal statements, secure scholarships, and navigate admissions as a Black student.
Result? Our graduates enter college not as outsiders, but as leaders.
Problem-Solving & Leadership – Skills for Life Beyond School
The Problem:
One of the biggest failings of traditional schools is that they focus too much on memorization and standardized testing. Roots to Routes Academy prioritizes problem-solving, analytical thinking, and real-world applications.
Many students graduate with book smarts but no real-world skills. They can solve math equations but struggle with critical thinking, decision-making, and leadership—skills needed to thrive in college and careers.
Our Solution:
We teach students how to think, not what to think.
1. Project-Based Learning (Real Problems, Real Solutions)
- Students don’t just memorize—they solve real community issues.
- Designing financial literacy programs for Black youth.
- Creating social justice campaigns on anti-Black racism.
- Developing business plans for local Black entrepreneurs.
2. Debate & Critical Thinking Workshops
- Weekly sessions where students analyze, argue, and defend ideas—just like in college seminars.
- Topics range from current events to ethical dilemmas, teaching them to think independently.
3. Mentorship from Black Professionals
- Doctors, engineers, lawyers, and entrepreneurs mentor students, showing them what’s possible.
- Networking events where students build connections early.
Result? Our students don’t just get into college—they dominate.
Career Readiness – No More “Figure It Out Later”
The Problem:
Too many Black students graduate high school with no career direction. They pick majors randomly, struggle in job interviews, and face workplace discrimination—because no one prepared them.
Our Solution:
We bridge the gap between school and career—starting in Grade 9.
1. Career Exposure from Day One
- Field trips to Black-owned businesses, tech firms, hospitals, and law offices.
- “Career days”—where professionals share their journeys (the struggles AND the triumphs).
2. Hands-On Job Training
- Resume & interview bootcamps—because we know employers judge Black applicants harder.
3. Financial Literacy (Because Wealth Matters)
- How to save, invest, and avoid student debt.
- Understanding credit, taxes, and homeownership—topics most schools ignore.
Result? Our students don’t just get jobs—they build legacies.
A School Where Your Child is Seen, Heard, and Celebrated
Most schools force Black students to shrink themselves to fit in. They’re punished for their hair, their dialect, their passion. By graduation, many lose their confidence.
We cultivate pride, not conformity.
- Afrocentric dress codes (headwraps, braids, cultural attire welcomed).
- Healing circles—safe spaces to discuss racism, mental health, and identity.
- Parent support groups—because this journey isn’t just for students.
Result? Our students walk into any room unapologetically Black—and unstoppable.
The Choice Every Black Parent Must Make
The truth is harsh but simple: The traditional school system was not built for Black children.
Will you wait for the system to change while your child’s potential is wasted? Or will you choose a school that fights for them from Day 1?
Roots to Routes Academy is not just another school. We are proof that Black students thrive when given the right environment. Don’t let your child be another statistic. Enrol them in a school where they’ll be prepared, empowered, and celebrated.
Limited spots available. The students who join us this year will be the CEOs, doctors, and changemakers of tomorrow.
Will your child be one of them?
