IT STARTS: Working together to address discrimination and racism
IT STARTS is a local awareness campaign with the goal of taking proactive steps toward addressing discrimination and racism in Simcoe County. IT STARTS is working toward promoting a unified community that encourages collective action against racism and discrimination.
Get Involved
Share your message:
Pick up cards (like the one in the photo above) from either of our locations, or download a copy of the #ITSTARTS card. Write down how you can make Simcoe County a more inclusive place to live, snap a picture, and share it online! Don't forget to tag @simcoecounty (Twitter) or @CountyofSimcoe (Facebook/Instagram) and use #ITSTARTS in your post.
Perform acts of inclusivity:
Host a multicultural lunch, learn about different cultures, ask questions.
Educate Yourself:
We have booklists for all ages to help - scroll down to see our Diversity Reads lists and place a hold in our catalogue myBPL.
Challenge Others:
Extend the challenge to friends, family, colleagues, and community leaders to take a stand. Remember, there is strength in numbers!
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” – Mother Teresa
IT STARTS Programming
As a community partner of IT STARTS, we are proud to offer a number of programs that align with the campaign:
- English Conversation Club: Learning a new language is an incredible accomplishment - especially one as difficult as English! Join us for casual conversation and practice your English-speaking skills. All are welcome.
- Multilingual Book Club: Broaden your reading horizons and share which corner of the world you are reading from. This community-led program meets on the last Tuesday of every month to learn about literature, movies, art, and history from a variety of cultural backgrounds and in different languages.
- In Focus: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Curio Documentary Selections: March 21st is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Check out staff-selected documentary picks on Curio, and learn with us as we continue to strive to achieve justice and equality for all. - Community Voices: Join us for this special series as we learn more about our neighbours, listen to their stories, and celebrate the diversity of Simcoe County.
- Stories of Us: This program shares the stories of Canadian newcomers and turns them into empowering educational tools for English Language Learners. Come and learn with us as we listen to the experiences of local newcomers in our community.
In partnership with The Stories of Us project and the Department of Imaginary Affairs.
Diversity Reads
The Diversity Reads reading challenge pushes you to discover the world from different perspectives, in the hope that learning about and celebrating our differences will bring us closer together. Download the Beanstack Tracker app to view our Diversity Reads book lists, track your progress, and share your learnings, or check out the below links for a sampling of our Diversity Reads book lists.
Recommended for Teens and Adults
Recommended for Kids