We were lucky to catch up with Lara Tavares recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
Firstly, I acknowledge that I am hosted on the lands of the Mississaugas of the Anishinaabe, the Haundenosaunee Confederacy and the Wendat. I recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and the Inuit peoples. I acknowledge my role as a settler in this land on Turtle Island and I am very grateful. I recognize the ongoing harm and injustices of colonization and I commit to working toward safe, inclusive, just, equitable and healthy communities for all.
A risk I’ve taken was making the decision to change course from the corporate path I was on in my late twenties to dedicating my life to one of service – changing lives, positively impacting my community and saving the planet one computer at a time!
Having grown up in Kanata, Ontario, in a family surrounded by computers and access to digital information, I realized early on that a computer was a valuable resource that offered limitless opportunities. 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. We have placed 4,912 refurbished computers to date, positively impacting the recipients, their families and their surrounding communities!
My vision and the mandate behind Sky’s the Limit is to provide youth with access to computers, online resources and technology, thereby giving them the potential for enhanced success. We aim to provide our recipients with a limitless window of opportunity to be whatever and whoever they dream of becoming. We serve students in under-resourced areas, students whose parents or guardians would not otherwise be able to afford laptops for them. We work hand-in-hand with other nonprofit organizations to gain first-hand knowledge of which students require computers. When a student is identified as a potential recipient, we deliver a computer into their hands.
When Sky’s the Limit first began, I delivered refurbished desktop computers out of the trunk of my car to youth in Regent Park, Toronto. Today, 20 years later, we have worked with partner organizations from coast to coast to bring technology to youth. We were pioneers in recycling technology and donating it to youth and we have consistently delivered our program in an impactful way as our aim is to always grow and change with the needs of those we serve.
I believe it is our civic and moral duty to give what we can to build and restore balance when we see imbalance, inequality, injustice and suffering. I strive to communicate my goals of championing philanthropy, volunteerism and social change by embodying service to others, leading by example and creating and encouraging opportunities for others. I created Sky’s the Limit with these sentiments in mind and in doing so, transformed my life, the lives of my family members and friends, and my community. Sky’s the Limit provides us with a way to come together to engage in service in meaningful ways. Family and friends often come from far and wide to participate in fundraising events, hand-deliver computers to recipients, donate funds or volunteer in countless other capacities. We have created a legacy of service that I hope, and believe, will continue to impact and influence our community in an increasingly broader and ongoing way. The results of our actions can be felt and seen in the feedback from our recipients…
“… thanks for giving me hope, because having a computer has now given me a wide variety of chances in life and I’ll also use it to help those who have been in my position of not having a computer.” – Recipient
“Thank you so much for allowing me to have the opportunity to have a computer so I can have the ability to do much better in school. With the new computer I will be able to prepare presentations, research topics and create programs for my computer science class.” – Recipient
“People sometimes do not notice that the little things we do or even the things we say can have a big impact on people’s life and I just want to say that I’ll never forget what you’ve done because of your willingness to give. I also want to say thanks for giving me hope, because having a computer has now given me a wide variety of chances to encounter in life and also to use it to help those who have been in my position of not having a computer.” – Recipient
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
When I created Sky’s the Limit, I was interested in taking on a specific challenge – get technology to kids who need it – and excited about the idea of doing social justice work that hadn’t been done in my community before. I wanted to build an organization and a movement from the ground up while simultaneously encouraging, emboldening and supporting like-minded activists and groups who were supporting youth in my community.
We are the only organization of our kind that offers both physical devices and programming/training. We are also the only organization that is currently supporting under-resourced youth with laptop donations at this scale. Sky’s the Limit has created a blueprint for and a network of communities and organizations who want to empower their youth with digital information and communication technologies.
We provide refurbished laptops to youth across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, including new immigrants, refugees, Indigenous youth, women at risk, street-involved youth, youth with mental health issues and youth with disabilities. We provide services to youth regardless of race, gender, religious beliefs or sexual orientation…”Everybody’s kids or nobody’s kids”
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 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. When recipients receive a computer from Sky’s the Limit, their entire sphere of influence benefits. Younger siblings have the opportunity to practice their skills from an early age and parents, other family members, friends and acquaintances have a chance to develop their skills, do research, or type a resume. It is estimated that a recipient’s sphere of influence can extend to 30 people or more. Therefore, a group of computers placed in a close proximity can provide technological skills, internet access and opportunities benefitting and uplifting the surrounding community.
Our community partners help us to identify our recipients. These partners offer STEM and technology training and programming to students, thereby offering them the opportunity to expand and heighten their knowledge and skills. Participants in our technology camps receive training and mentoring from experts in the fields of website design, coding, program development, game design and development, social media, internet navigation, employability in the IT sector, marketing, digital literacy, and more.
Sky’s the Limit also impacts the environment in a positive way. With the average lifespan of a computer in Canada being 2-5 years, we provide environmental benefits by ensuring that computer systems are reused and recycled so that they do not end up in landfill sites. Burning computers creates carcinogens and burying them contaminates the ground and water. We cherish the environment and endeavor to protect it and preserve it for the generations to come. We have recycled and diverted approximately 5,500 computers from landfills to date!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
We mobilized during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide 259 laptops for youth!
The digital divide continues to widen and the impact of the pandemic has only hastened the pace.
When the Premier of Ontario’s Office announced that all publicly funded schools in Ontario were closed indefinitely on March 20, 2020, the Ministry of Education launched “Learn at Home”. This new online portal provided resources that allowed students to continue learning while schools were closed. These resources were available online for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12. Post-secondary education also made a move to online learning, with lectures being given virtually.
With youth in Ontario now learning online, getting laptops into the hands of the youth who needed them was more important than ever. Despite the hindrances and logistical challenges of the pandemic restrictions, we quickly mobilized during March of 2020 to secure donations to react to the sudden needs of online learning for our youth. As a result, Sky’s the Limit was able to quickly get 259 laptops into the hands of youth across the GTA.
“With schools closed and social distancing in place, access to technology is more important than ever. Thank you so much for ensuring Pathways students have access to laptops, so they can continue learning at home.” – Pathways to Education Canada
“Some students are connecting with their teachers for the first time in a meaningful way since the start of the school closures.” – Pathways to Education Canada
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Every child has the right to an education. The Internet is a critical resource and should be available to all!
Sky’s the Limit has created a network of communities and organizations who want to empower their youth who have often been excluded due to their race, gender, religious belief or sexual orientation. Since our inception, we have worked with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) communities in Canada and abroad.
We are currently working with Gwen Madiba’s Ottawa based nonprofit, Equal Chance, and its partner organization, the Global Black Coalition to assist vulnerable Black people who are experiencing hardship fleeing the war in Ukraine due to racism. We are supporting the coalition’s mission by donating laptops to displaced African students, both here in Canada and abroad.
Sky’s the Limit has served Indigenous populations across Canada that have been historically marginalized and had minimal access to resources. We have partnered with several organizations such as Native Child and Family Services Toronto, Kinomaugewgamik Elementary School in the Shawanaga First Nation community in Parry Sound, the First Nations School of Toronto, the Native Education Center, the Winnipeg Aboriginal Job Fair, the Amos Key Jr. Six Nations Polytechnic, the Musqueam Indian Band, Vancouver, BC, and the Mamow Sha-way-gi-kay-win: North South Partnership for Children, to address the needs of their youth.
We helped incoming refugees settle in Canada by working with COSTI Immigration Services to provide computers to our new Canadian friends. We delivered computers to Burmese refugees in Ottawa and created our first Sky’s the Limit tech camps to benefit Syrian refugee youth in the Greater Toronto Area. These free technology camps provided instruction from experts in the field of coding, HTML, time management, IT careers and staffing, laptop repair, social media branding, safe internet browsing, and more. Each student went home with a laptop from the camp, and the feedback we received was enthusiastically positive.
Sky’s the Limit is currently partnering with HER_volution, a charitable organization inspiring girls and diverse youth to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), by providing laptops to participants in their various programs such as the “STEMing UP” and “GO!stem” programs serving 13-17 year old youth from across Ontario.
“”We’re so grateful for your support and for the work you are doing! Yesterday, we celebrated #internationaldayofthegirl and we learned that the digital divide is a crisis and girls from around the world are highly impacted by this. Your work helps us close this divide in the GTA and we’re grateful for our partnership. Thank you so much” – HER_volution
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stlonline.org
- Instagram: @stlonline
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skysthelimitorg
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sky’s-the-limit/
- Other: Sky’s the Limit Youth Organization is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Registered Canadian Charity, CRA BN123456789)
Image Credits
Lara Tavares bio pic
headshot is by Anna Keenan Photography