Story Squad

Everyone Has A Story To Tell

Young people pay attention to their peers, neighbors, and environment in ways adults often overlook, thus making them some of the greatest storytellers in our communities! Story Squad, an audio storytelling program, empowers youth to channel their experiences through personal audio stories that are shared within their community and throughout the world.

Why It Works

In a quite confusing world, Story Squad acts as a guiding light! This program focuses on developing self-reflection, critical thinking, self-efficacy, and audio production and storytelling skills. With the use of trauma-informed group processes that draw on foundational principles in media literacy, restorative justice, and cognitive behavioral therapy, we promote positive development in young people throughout the greater Chicago area!

Most importantly, through this process, young people can develop the necessary social and emotional skills to process experiences with violence. By re-examining dominant narratives through the lens of context, place, and policy, they can place personal experiences within broader structural inequalities.

How It Works

The Story Squad program provides 15 weeks of structured, two-hour evening programming per community cohort. Each cohort is composed of children ages 8-11, and teens ages 12-19. Sessions are facilitated by our Youth Safety & Violence Prevention (YSVP) professionals and supported by YSVP interns.

Support The Story Squad

It is only through the support from our foundation, corporate partners, and private donations that we are able to do this important work.

Support Our Work