Despite donning a new jersey and playing in a new city, Pascal Siakam has continued to impact Toronto off the court.
The former Raptors superstar returned to Toronto on Monday and hosted an event with his PS43 foundation for the Data Dunkers program, a project that hopes to inspire students to learn data science skills through basketball.
He hosted the event at Humber College's gym near Rexdale, a neighbourhood in the west end of Toronto, and brought in students from grades 5-12 from surrounding Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) schools to participate in the initiative.
"It's amazing to be honest," Siakam told CityNews' Lindsay Dunn. "You do some of these things from your heart and obviously you hope that it has an impact, but just to see the reactions. One thing I wanted to do when I left was to continue to have that imprint in the community because I grew up here. So it's part of me, part of who I am, it's part of my family.
"To be able to still touch the community while I'm away, and then whenever I get a chance to be here, just making sure I come in and not only show face but just show my support."
The 30-year-old was traded to the Indiana Pacers last season.
But as he and his new team are set to visit the Raptors in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night, dedicating time to visit the community he knew for the first eight years of his NBA career felt like a must for the two-time All-Star.
"No matter how tired you are, no matter what's happening, I think you can always find time to touch the community," Siakam said. "I think it also gives balance. The intensity of the games and everything that happens, finding a way to disconnect a little bit and have that little balance where you get to hang out with kids ... anything we can do like that is always great."
According to the PS43 Foundation's website, the Data Dunkers program consists of "learning activities designed to explore how to find meaning in data, primarily using open data from the NBA and WNBA," and the goal is for students to use it as a "launchpad for global competencies, such as critical thinking and program solving and discovering career pathways within the realm of data."
This is the second year that the program has been put into action, with Siakam and his foundation partnering with Dell to provide access to tech to students in the TCDSB.
The PS43 Foundation has put a strong focus on helping kids learn more tech-focused skills, with the Coding for Champions program providing laptops and digital resources to underprivileged students in hopes of breaking the "digital divide." They also run a Mathletes program, a six-week course aimed at helping students between the ages of 13-16 learn math through sports.
"We know that technology is the next thing," Siakam said, explaining the purpose behind pushing kids toward different career paths in tech. "Going to certain communities, not having the resources and finding different skills the kids can learn.
"I think you make time for things that are important. You really want to build something that could make change."
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