Mentor Organizations

Leadership and Educational Organizations

Thank you again for your participation in this program, and accepting the Do the Write Thing Challenge. We encourage you to stay active and do your very best to continue to stop violence. Several Chicago area leadership and educational organizations are familiar with the Do the Write Thing Challenge, and admire your participation. Below is a small sampling of those organizations and I encourage you to check them out to see if any might interest you. You should also continue to monitor our website for additional organizations and information about Do the Write Thing: www.dothewritethingchicago.org. These organizations have their doors open to welcome you, help you and offer amazing life lessons.

Do The Write Thing Chicago encourages students to stay active and do your very best to continue to stop violence. Several Chicago area leadership and educational organizations are familiar with the Do the Write Thing Challenge, and admire the participation. These organizations have their doors open to welcome you, help you and offer amazing life lessons.

Please keep in touch with the National Campaign to Stop Violence by registering on our Stay Connected Program at: http://www.dtwt.org/stay-connected.

826CHI

826CHI is dedicated to amplifying the voices of Chicago youth. We encourage the exploration of endless possibility through the power of writing for students, for teachers, and for communities: We equip students with the skills to write their own paths forward, undefined by circumstance. We support teachers as they explore new and exciting approaches to teaching writing and inspiring student engagement. We foster generations of creative writers and thinkers, who together will define a better future.

826CHI supports students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills. Our services are structured around our understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.
1276 North Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60622
Web Site
Phone: 773-772-8108
E-mail
Contact:
Maria Villarreal, Director of Programs

After School Matters

After School Matters provides Chicago high school teens with high quality, after-school and summer opportunities to explore and develop their talents while gaining critical skills for work, college and beyond. Since 1991, more than 200,000 teens have participated in our hands-on, project-based after-school and summer programs in the arts, communications and leadership, sports and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Programs take place at locations throughout the city including Chicago public high schools, Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Library locations, community organizations, downtown at the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts and in Belmont Cragin at our new Michael and Karyn Lutz Center for After School Matters. For more information, visit www.afterschoolmatters.org.
66 E. Randolph Street Chicago, IL 60601
Web Site
Phone: 312-742-4182
Spanish-language Phone: 312-846-7106
E-mail
Spanish E-mail

All Stars Project, Inc.

The All Stars creates outside-of-school, educational and performing arts activities for young people. All Stars sponsors community and experimental theatre, develops leadership training and pursues volunteer initiatives that build and strengthen communities. Through their talent shows, they offer youth the opportunity to showcase their passions and talents in a supportive environment. Also, the Development School for Youth (DSY) is a leadership training program for young people that partners with corporations and corporate professionals to provide training experiences for the students and summer internships for the DSY graduates.
53 W. Jackson Blvd. Ste. 1135 Chicago, IL 60606
Web Site
Phone: 312-360-0660
Contact:
David Cherry, City Leader

Chicago Tutoring Connection

Chicago Tutoring Connection volunteers meet with 7th to 12th grade youth for one-on-one mentoring, tutoring and group learning activities. Activities are designed to build social, team-building and leadership skills and encourage an interest in arts, technology and social service. Programs include writing club, video creation and production, arts and tech clubs.
641 W. Lake Street, Suite 200 Chicago, IL 60661
Web Site
Office: 312-690-4235
Contact:
Steven Miller, Executive Director

Camp of Dreams

Camp of Dreams is an educational and cultural enrichment organization for youth ages 8-18. Participants meet two Saturdays per month during the school year at the AMC Center, located at 4421 S. State St. in Bronzeville, and are eligible to attend a summer camp which runs for three weeks at no cost. While at their Saturday Community Days or summer camp, the Dreamers take part in small group classes in four subject areas -- academics, athletics, visual and performing arts, urban gardening and mind and body. Previously offered classes include: poetry, canoeing, martial arts, painting and foreign languages. Their high school program is also offered during Community Days, featuring classes on critical thinking, problem solving, financial literacy, public speaking, civics and leadership as well as community service projects. High school students also participate in a weekend leadership retreat.
1235-A N. Clybourn, Suite 362 Chicago, IL 60610
Web Site
Phone: 312-649-5551
Email

Chicago Youth Centers

Chicago Youth Centers invites teens, ages 13-18 years old, to sign up to attend and participate in a comprehensive variety of activities that are designed to improve academic performance in school as well as help teens develop strong life and social skills. CYC has a variety of awards and recognitions programs and support for higher education in the form of college preparation, job readiness and career awareness. The CYC-Teen Leadership Development Program is offered at CYC locations in Bronzeville, Bridgeport, North Lawndale and South Shore.
Elliot Donnelley Youth Center 3947 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60653
Web Site
Phone: 773-268-3815
Contact:
Tina Ayala

Christopher House

4701 N. Winthrop, Chicago, IL 60640
Web Site
Phone: 773-330-4181
Contact:
Erika Alcibar, Associate Director of Youth Development

Crisis Text Line

Crisis Text Line is a free, anonymous, 24/7 support for those in crisis. Text 741741 anywhere, anytime, and a live trained crisis counselor will receive the text and respond quickly. They will help you out of your moment of crisis and work with you to create a plan to continue to feel better. Your crisis counselor only knows what you text to them, and that information stays confidential. Please visit www.crisistextline.org for more information.
Web Site

Dreams For Kids

Dreams For Kids Prepares Youth to Create the Future Today. We train and mentor youth as social entrepreneurs, providing practical education and contemporary job skills as they create social enterprises that provide solutions to society’s critical social issues.
Our core program begins with an 11-week curriculum that was created by nationally recognized entrepreneurs and academic leaders and is delivered through peer-to-peer mentoring and reinforced by professional mentors in the community.
Seeking: Students in grades 9-11, college mentors, professional mentors.
820 W. Jackson, Ste. 805 Chicago, IL 60607
Web Site
Phone: 312-585-4995
Contact:
Shelly Gonsch, Operations Director

Girls in the Game

At Girls in the Game, our mission is to help every girl find her voice, discover her strength and lead with confidence through fun and active sports, health and leadership programs. Our programs are designed to nurture the whole girl by encouraging leadership, teamwork, grit, healthy lifestyles, self-worth, confidence, diversity and personal growth among girls. We offer a citywide teen program where teens earn scholarship money to participate in our career exploration program and be trained in our coaching best practices and curriculum to coach younger girls around the city. We also have a pop-up drop-in program where girls get to be active and receive professional development on topics of their choice. For more information on any of these programs, contact Coach Diana at teensquad@girlsinthegame.org
1401 S. Sacramento Drive Chicago, IL 60623
Web Site
Phone: 312-633-GAME (4263)
Contact:
Diana Camarillo, Teen Programs Manager

Marwen

Marwen educates and inspires young people through the visual arts. If you are interested in art and would like to explore drawing, sculpture, painting, photography, ceramics, fashion, video, and more, then Marwen is the place for you. Marwen courses invite students in grades 6-12 who live in Chicago and can't afford to pay for art courses to take FREE art classes. No experience required - just energy, commitment, and enthusiasm! To begin taking classes at Marwen, you’ll need to attend a new student orientation and registration. Please check our website for the upcoming orientation date: www.marwen.org
833 N. Orleans Chicago, IL 60610
Web Site
Phone: 312-944-2418
Contact:
Barbara Banda, Student and Family Engagement Coordinator

Open Books

Open Books' mission is to transform lives through reading, writing, and the GIVING power of used books.

Each year, Open Books and our corps of volunteers bring joyful experiences to 6,000 children through our literacy programs, which are designed to boost confidence, help students see themselves as readers and writers, and provide them with access to books.

Every writing program also provides students with an opportunity to become published authors. Through our book granting programs, we donate more than 150,000 books to children, families, and under-resourced communities across Chicagoland.
651 W. Lake St. Chicago, IL 60661
Web Site
Phone: 312-475-1355
Contact:
Curtis Shaw Flagg, Marketing Director

Union League Boys and Girls Clubs

Union League Boys and Girls Clubs, founded in 1919, offer youth between the ages of 6 to 18 a safe place to spend out-of-school time in structured programming focused on academic success, good character and citizenship, and a healthy lifestyle. Our vision for each club member is that they graduate from high school with a plan for the future. We help them to reach their full potential. We operate eight Clubs in Chicago and serve youth in the Pilsen, Humboldt Park, West Town, South Lawndale and Englewood communities. Our Club members also have access to our Boys & Girls Club camp located in Salem, Wisconsin.
65 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604
Web Site
Locations
Phone: 312-435-5940
Contact:
Mary Ann Mahon-Huels, President & CEO
Phone: 312-435-5987

Young Chicago Authors (YCA)

Young Chicago Authors (YCA) offers weekly writing workshops in poetry (Check the Method) and hip-hop/rap (Emcee Wreckshop), the longest-running youth open mic in Chicago (WordPlay), and a monthly LGBTQ salon (Queeriosity), all at our offices at 1180 N. Milwaukee Avenue in West Town. YCA is the home of Louder Than A Bomb, the largest youth poetry festival in the country.

If you are between 12 and 25, come through YCA to develop your voice with the help of professional teaching artists and join the largest, most vibrant youth literary community in Chicago.

If you are a teacher seeking trained teaching artists to bring poetry and spoken word to your school, YCA offers free Education Partnerships for Chicago Public Schools. YCA’s teaching artists also deliver customized programming through fee-based School and Community Resources engagements.
1180 N Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60642
Web Site
Phone: 773-486-4331
Contact:
Rebecca Hunter, Executive Director
Nick Ward, Booking Manager

Youth Guidance

Youth Guidance creates and implements school-based programs that enable at-risk children to overcome obstacles, focus on their education and, ultimately, to succeed in school and in life. Youth Guidance sees a bright and successful future for every at-risk, inner-city elementary and high school student in Chicago. Because we believe that success in school is not only possible, but should be achieved and celebrated, we are present in the schools to facilitate an environment that truly engages students in the learning process, and through careful guidance, enables them to realize their full potential and graduate with a meaningful plan for successfully managing life.

Our Becoming A Man (BAM) program is an example of how we are making an important difference in improving school outcomes, preventing youth violence and promoting success with Chicago's youth.
1 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 900 Chicago, IL 60602
Web Site
Phone: 312-253-4900
Contact:
Michelle Adler Morrison, CEO