About Us
a child cannot be what a child cannot see
Reaching & Teaching Youth Center is a community-based organization that empowers youth ages 8 - 18 years of age. We provide viable resources needed to create better neighborhoods, communities, cities, states, and eventually a better world. One child at a time, we address mental health and violence through mentorship and guidance through conflict resolution.
*East Garfield Park
The Need
For decades, Chicago’s South and West Sides have been intentionally hollowed by significant divestment, school closures, and a lack of economic opportunities. While Chicago’s South Side has, in recent years, been able to access more resources and secure reinvestments, the West Side - where East Garfield Park is located - still remains largely boxed out. As a result, there is a dearth of community centers and parks, and youth has limited educational and employment opportunities available to them. With this lack of access to resources, rates of school graduation are low and unemployment is high; many young people are forced to drop out of school and participate in informal or street-based economies to survive. We also understand that interlocking oppressive systems such as ableism, transphobia, sexism, and anti-Black racism are at the root of the range of violence our communities experience, from intra-communal and interpersonal to state-enacted. By providing resources and tools directly to young people, we can best address conflict in their lives, develop mental health awareness, and help them to collectively navigate the landscapes around them. Reaching & Teaching Youth Center aims to equip youth with viable resources and programs that aids them in living a successful life.
