Greetings from Black Student Support and Engagement (BSSE) and the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (EDIB).

Black Heritage Month 2026 invites us to gather in celebration, honour powerful stories, and build community together through this year’s theme: Black Brilliance: Stories that Shape Us. 

This year’s programming centres Black storytelling as a source of identity, belonging, and community connection, highlighting the personal, cultural, historical, and future-focused narratives that continue to shape Black life, learning, creativity, and community at Humber Polytechnic and beyond. 

Join Us for the Opening Ceremony 

We invite you to join us at Lakeshore Campus on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 12 p.m. for the Black Heritage Month Opening Ceremony. This energizing event will feature music and reflections that uplift Black voices and stories and will set the tone for a month grounded in connection, celebration, and collective exploration. 

How You Can Get Involved 

Throughout February, BSSE and many Humber & Guelph-Humber partners will host a robust calendar of events that bring this year’s theme to life. We encourage you to: 

• Attend and actively participate in Black Heritage Month events 
• Share and amplify events widely within your teams, classrooms, and networks 
• Explore the Black Student Library Guide, an education and research resource highlighting Black excellence in Toronto, across Canada, and beyond, with curated materials to support learning, teaching, and reflection 

Let’s come together to support Black Heritage Month by showing up, spreading the word, and creating space for Black stories to be honoured and celebrated.  

We look forward to connecting with you throughout the month and beyond. 

 Black Student Support and Engagement (BSSE) 
Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (EDIB)

Notifications Settings: To ensure you receive Humber Guardian notifications, please confirm that notifications are enabled both in your phone setting for Guardian App and within the Humber Guardian app. In-app notifications can be enabled by navigating to About/Preferences, selecting the Push Notifications menu, tapping on Push Notifications and enabling the notifications on. Both settings must be enabled for alerts and safety messages to be delivered successfully.

App Offloading/Hibernation: The Department of Public Safety would like to inform the Humber community about iOS and Android operating system features that may affect the delivery of Humber Guardian app notifications.

iOS Offloading (iOS 11 and above)
Apple introduced an “Offload Unused Apps” feature that automatically removes apps that are not used for an extended period when device storage is low. Although app data is retained, the application itself is removed from the device and must be manually restored through device settings. When offloaded, the Humber Guardian app may not deliver push notifications.

Android App Hibernation (Android 11 and above)
Android devices running version 11 or higher may automatically place apps into a hibernation state if they are not used for several months. When an app is hibernated, it may stop receiving important push notifications and performing background tasks, including safety alerts.

How to Disable Android App Hibernation

1. Open Settings and tap Apps
2. Select Humber Guardian App
3. Tap on Unused app setting (or look for “App hibernation”)
4. Toggle Off “pause app activity if unused” or “Remove permissions if app is unused” or “Manage app if unused” (depending on your setting and device)

How to Disable iOS App Offloading

5. Open the Settings and tap Apps
6. Scroll Down to App Store
7. Locate Offload Unused Apps at the bottom
8. Toggle the switch to Off/disable

To help prevent missed notifications, Public Safety has implemented automated reminders every three months to prompt users to review and disable offloading or hibernation settings:

• Android devices: App hibernation is managed on a per-app basis. Reminders will only be sent if the hibernation setting is enabled at the time of the scheduled reminder.
• iOS devices: Offloading is a device-wide setting. As a result, reminders will continue every three months regardless of whether offloading has been disabled.

If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact the Department of Public Safety at publicsafety@humber.ca.

Department of Public Safety
Humber Polytechnic

Join Indigenous Education & Engagement for the first course in our teaching and learning Bundle - All Our Relatlions. This Winter 2026 course is offered to support faculty and staff in deepening Indigenous teaching and learning practices.

Indigenous Teaching and Learning Bundle - All Our Relations

An introductory asynchronous course exploring Indigenous worldviews, pedagogies, and the impacts of anti-Indigenous racism in education.
January 26 – March 30 | Registration closes January 30 | Capped at 25

Register now

Accessibility is not an option. It’s embedded in standards, legislation, and professional expectations, and it directly shapes how effectively information is shared and understood.

From education and healthcare, to business and creative industries, accessible design ensures messages reach their audience clearly, consistently, and respectfully.

Build essential, in-demand accessible design skills by taking our AODA Inclusive Design Training micro-credentials. These fully asynchronous modules are designed for busy professionals, allowing you to learn at your own pace while applying what you learn immediately to your work.

We are now offering a 30 per cent discount for Humber employees, family and friends.

Discount info

Discount code: ACM26
Expiration date: Feb. 13, 2026