About The Africadian Empowerment Academy
The Africadian Empowerment Academy (AEA) is a community-based registered charity organization rooted in Nova Scotia.
We advance education by providing courses, classes, and structured programs in technical subjects and communication with a primary focus on skilled trades—to enhance skills development, leadership capacity, and professional growth for people of African descent and members of the general public.
How it all began.
The East Preston Empowerment Academy (EPEA) now rebranded as “The Africadian Empowerment Academy (AEA)” was founded in 2014 by Pastor LeQuita Porter, Dr. Wayne Adams, William Porter, and Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard.
The program began as a ministry of the East Preston United Baptist Church when Dr. Thomas Bernard and Pastor Porter spoke at a men’s brotherhood event. Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard was asked to speak about her research around Black and African Nova Scotian men’s survival and thrival and the men were extremely engaged.
When asked “What is holding you back?”, the majority replied that it was a lack of education or lack of literacy. It was then that Dr. Thomas Bernard and Pastor Porter realized an opportunity was presenting itself and they founded EPEA with the goal of investing in minds and empowering lives through education and training.
AEA has grown over the years to now include 14 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff and a strong board of directors
Our History
Our Purpose
Empowering and equipping people of African descent with the necessary skills, tools, and confidence to fulfill their lifelong dreams
Our Vision
People of African descent become full participants and recognized contributors in the fabric of Nova Scotia’s vibrant economy.
Our Mission
To inspire and help people of African descent achieve their educational and development goals as a pathway to individual and collective empowerment.
Our values
People
We are committed to empowering people of African descent through education to realize their economic potential and improve their quality of life.
Community
We encourage program participants to pay it forward— strengthening African Nova Scotian communities and increasing participation in the broader economy.
Partnerships
We build mutually beneficial alliances with individuals and organizations striving for economic and social inclusion for people of African descent.
Governance & Accountability
As a registered charity, AEA is committed to:
- Transparent reporting
- Responsible stewardship of donor funds
- Data-driven evaluation
- Strategic partnerships
We measure transformation—not just attendance.
Our Team
The future is bright.
As a team, we believe in the power of self-actualization, social justice and economic empowerment for all.
With combined decades of work experiences behind AEA’s vision and mission, we are in a community bound to help our bigger community – the people of African descent to actualize their true potentials.
Simply put, our dream works because this team works and the future is bright!
Omolara Ogunbosi, Executive Director at Africadian
Our Operational Team
Omolara Ogunbosi
Executive Director at Africadian
Tomisin Ayoola
Project Coordinator & Admin Head
Frederick Crawley
Skilled Trades Coordinator
Yetunde Cole
Program Development Executive
Dunk Dunkley
Technical Instructor
Decklan Rolle
Admin/Communication Training Officer
Uchenna Divine Opara
Data Analyst
Garth Cromwell
Skilled Trades Assistant
Board of Directors
Members of the Board of Directors help to steer AEA towards a more sustainable future, ensuring we have the resources to achieve our mission.
Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard
President
Candace Thomas
Corporate Secretary
Funmilayo Odeniyi
Treasurer
Elder Wayne Adams
Director
Greg Browning
Director
Chris Atwood
Director
Graham MacDermott
Director
Peter Owusu
Director
Tanya Reddick
Director
Deion Parsons
Director
Our Partners
Our partners are our secret. Well, an open secret. With their support, we've gotten to where we are today. As a non-profit organization with a big vision and mission like ours, it is typical that we utilize a huge amount of diverse resources in the fulfillment of our daily obligations.
