Vision

Education is power for parents, guardians and caregivers.

Mission

Family Fuse supports Black parents, guardians, and caregivers across Windsor and Essex County to navigate the education system. Family Fuse is for those looking to get ahead when it comes to supporting their school aged children. We work together with parents to raise equity and provide valuable insight into how school age children can be encouraged by parent involvement, starting in elementary school, college, university or as entrepreneurs.

OUR TEAM

  • Christie Nelson

    PROGRAM MANAGER & FOUNDER

    Christie Nelson is the PROGRAM MANAGER/Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of Family Fuse who truly enjoys working with the team to build a greater sense of community and to raise equity for Black parents, guardians, and caregivers. Over the years Christie has supported organizations such as Windsor-Essex Compassion Care Community, The Hospice of Windsor & Essex County, Legal Assistance of Windsor, Community Living Essex, Project Push, Windsor Police Auxiliary, and Express Coaching. For more information or to connect with Christie email infofamilyfuse@gmail.com

  • Clarese Carter

    COMMUNITY FACILITATOR & FOUNDER

    Clarese Carter is the COMMUNITY FACILITATOR/Advocate and Co-Founder of Family Fuse who enjoys coaching, advocating for and working with Black parent, guardians, and caregivers to achieve their goals. Clarese brings therapeutic value to workshops while connecting participants to valuable community resources that will help enhance their personal success. Clarese is a trained Child and Youth Worker and Community Outreach Liaison. For more information or to connect with Clarese email admin@familyfuse.ca

  • Salem Berhane

    FOUNDER

    Salem Berhane is a Co-Founder of Family Fuse who thrives on connecting with members of the community who are looking for ways to support their families. This includes finding out the issues that are faced by Black families and working on creating solutions with parents, guardians, caregivers or youth. Salem enjoys assisting members of the Black community to help them achieve their goals, overcome obstacles and make changes to be successful. Salem has worked as a change your future counselor with the Greater Essex County District School Board, spent 15 years advocating for youth and has worked as a parole officer.

Quick Facts

This project is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation Youth Opportunities Fund Family Innovations stream which focuses on offering culturally-anchored projects that empower and support parents, guardians and caregivers who face systemic barriers and challenges.

The YOF recognizes that some families experience exclusion and face complex challenges, including racism, poverty, trauma, and mental wellbeing.  These barriers make it that much harder to navigate systems, access opportunities, and experience economic and social wellbeing.

Family Fuse’s project was funded specifically to support Black parents, guardians and caregivers to navigate the education system.

Although we recognize that Black children and youth are not exempt from anti-Black racism because their parents are white, this particular project is focused on supporting Black parents.