Youth Development
Provides skills and support through group and individual programming for youth and young adults.
Diermeier Future Leaders Now Program
The Diermeier Future Leaders Now program includes 25 hours of interactive leadership development, including community service, job readiness training & exposure outings, all facilitated with a Positive Youth Development Approach.
Staff members adapt the curriculum to youth needs while making sure the four cornerstones and 15 leadership principles are not compromised.
The program is possible thanks to generous funding from the Diermeier Family Foundation. Jeff and Julie Diermeier have been committed to UCAN youth for many years, serving as members of UCAN’s President’s Board funding critical programming, and devoting time to UCAN youth and staff.
My Chi My Future
Safe Spaces for Youth
The goal of the MCMF Year-Round Safe Spaces for Youth program is to support healthy community ecosystems (interconnected formal and informal opportunities for youth supported by caring adults and community organizations operating within communities and city-wide) for young people in the 15 MCMF Community Strategy Regions, areas of the city that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program provides community events and services for youth and their families year-round according to the DFSS schedule and is supported by other UCAN programs. Based on our service approach, program participants are active participants in projects. Our programs provide one-on-one and group mentoring with caring adults. We utilize speakers that act as role models to provide workshops on careers, resilience and cultural heritage. Program activities provide consistent opportunities for youth to cultivate, practice, and reflect on social and emotional competencies in ways that are developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive. These opportunities provide dedicated time to focus on social and emotional competencies on age-appropriate topics. Topics may include labeling feelings, coping with stress, setting and achieving goals, developing empathy, dealing with grief, communicating effectively, resolving conflict, being assertive, and making responsible decisions. Parents are also invited to help or participate in such activities from time to time.
We view our program participants as experts on themselves and their experiences and as such are integral members of the service team. Our expertise in counseling and youth development programming coupled with our participant’s expertise in their own life experiences makes for a combined effort to create realistic outcomes. As a part of our Trauma Informed Approach, we practice the 5 S’s of Trauma Informed Care which include: Safety, Support, Strengths, Self-Soothing, Self-Care.
Community Anchor Organizations
The goal of the MCMF Community Anchor Organizations program is to convene community-level stakeholders and caring adults committed to youth development, such as youth workers, faith leaders, school staff, etc., to mobilize strategies to connect young people of all ages to engaging and meaningful out-of-school time programming in each of the 15 MCMF Community Strategy Regions, areas of the city that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program provides access and participation to out-of- school community events, resources and opportunity ecosystems for youth and their families. The program works together with community stakeholders in the Chicago, Illinois, North Lawndale area to leverage community assets and the city’s resources to build positive futures for youth, their families, and their communities.
Sharing the Light
This multi-faceted group therapy curriculum targets youth who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning. The curriculum is offered to Chicago-area schools and is provided in UCAN programs by trained staff.
QUEST is 12-session curriculum that can be adapted to accommodate group needs. Goals include equipping LGBTQ youth with effective coping, relaxation and social skills to help increase their positive feelings, thoughts, beliefs and cultivate inherent strengths and resiliency factors.
Adventure Therapy: An experiential group learning program in which youth are encouraged to experiment with different behaviors in novel environments where they receive immediate and realistic feedback. This collaboration with Chicago Adventure Therapy facilitates clients' participation in local activities and out-of-state camping trips. The group is offered as an eight-week curriculum to local area schools. Goals include: increasing social-emotional strengths and resiliency through participation in experiential programming; and developing and enhancing personal leadership development skills.
Project Visible Man is a male mentoring program, the name of which is inspired by a Ralph Ellison’s writings “Invisible Man”. This program is offered as a means to help young men navigate the sometimes difficult journey into Manhood. Through participation in group mentoring workshops, young men will:
- Strengthen their self-esteem through self-affirmation and healthy self-image development
- Learn how to develop relationships in ways that are healthy and supportive and create positive experiences
- Spend time thinking about their future and imagining greatness for themselves
- Meet professional men of color who will share their stories and provide inspiration
- Have access to an adult coach who can offer guidance and be an objective listener
- Eligibility: Young men between the ages of 12-24
For more information, please e-mail ucancounseling@ucanchicago.org.
Phenomenal Woman is a female mentoring program, the name of which is inspired by a Maya Angelou poem. This program is offered as a means to help young ladies navigate the sometimes difficult journey into womanhood. Through participation in group mentoring workshops, young ladies will:
- Strengthen their self-esteem through self-affirmation and healthy self-image development
- Learn how to approach relationships in ways that are healthy and supportive and create positive experiences
- Spend time thinking about their future and imagining greatness for themselves
- Have access to an adult coach who can offer guidance and be an objective listener
- Eligibility: Young women between the ages of 13-24
For more information, please e-mail ucancounseling@ucanchicago.org.
