Our Objectives

The African Canadian Services Branch (ACSB) is dedicated to collaborating across the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) with students, parents, families, community, education partners, and stakeholders to build a Nova Scotian education system that is equitable, culturally responsive and a safe learning environment.

We will advance the holistic development, well-being and scholarship of African Nova Scotian and African Canadian learners by:

  • Recognizing their inherent worth, dignity and potential to excel
  • Promoting understandings of the rich, vibrant, multi-generational and multi-ethnic histories of African Nova Scotians and African Canadians and recognizing their knowledge systems, histories, heritages, cultures, traditions, and contributions to society as people of African ancestry.
  • Providing leadership to support teachers, administrators and other educational staff in ensuring an equitable and inclusive educational experience for African Nova Scotian learners
  • Leading collaboratively with EECD, regional staff and other stakeholders to eliminate the achievement gap by identifying and removing barriers impacting African Nova Scotian and African Canadian learners
  • Providing support services to learners as they transition through the early years, Primary-Grade 12, post-secondary, and adult education towards a successful career in the workforce 
  • Managing and administering the provincial scholarship program for African Nova Scotian learners to ensure African Nova Scotian and African Canadian students have equitable access to post-secondary institutions
  • Developing, promoting, and facilitating access to programs, resources, and services for and on behalf of African Nova Scotian and African Canadian, administrators, teachers and support staff
  • Collaborating across the department and with government to consult with and provide advice regarding African Nova Scotian/Canadian Education
  • Providing leadership to post-secondary institutions to support the development and alignment of policies, programs and processes which nurture and affirm the goals and future aspirations of African Nova Scotian and African Canadian learners
  • Analyzing, evaluating and monitoring disaggregated data and evidence to support excellence in instruction, educational programming and assessment