Donations allow T.A.C.O. to afford venues and necessary materials, pay youth photographers and collaborators, and compensate the work of our teen team members. Donate here.
Organizations
Art Reach Chicago:
ArtReach provides mobile and studio access to under-served Chicagoans of all ages. Through mobile community programs, in-school residencies, afterschool programs, and field trips, ArtReach extends access to high-quality art tools, professionals, and spaces throughout the city.
https://www.artreachchicago.org/who-we-are
About Face Youth Theatre:
About Face Youth Theatre (AFYT) is an award-winning program that provides rigorous training in theatre, lessons about social justice through history, and opportunities for leadership development and activism.
http://aboutfacetheatre.com/education/youth-theatre/
Adler Youth Voices, Citizen Science Ambassadors:
The Adler’s Teen Programs focus on providing technical and professional skills, mentorship, and a welcoming learning environment for Chicago high school students of all backgrounds, interests, and abilities.
https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/teen-opportunities/
BET New Directions:
New Directions serves teenagers interested in the arts. The program is structured to assist them in their transition into adulthood and independence. New Directions uses theater arts to help develop self-esteem, self-respect, and work skills. This program also enhances survival skills and helps the young participants to prepare for self-sufficiency through job readiness.”
https://blackensembletheater.org/outreach/new-directions/
Chicago Architecture Center; Teen Fellows:
The programs offered by CAC give high school students enrolled at a Chicago Public Schools the chance to take a deep dive into exploring these fields while working alongside architecture and design professionals.
http://www.architecture.org/learn/teens/teen-fellows/
Chicago Poetry Center:
Our workshops teach the craft of writing and creative performance to empower and engage students and community members of all ages, K through college and beyond.
https://www.poetrycenter.org/poets-with-class/
CHICAT:
The Chicago Center for Arts & Technology is focused on the power of unifying communities, the connection between art and technology, and the benefits of engaging and teaching in an inspirational and beautiful environment.
Digital Youth Network:
DYN is a project that supports organizations, educators and researchers in learning best practices to help develop our youths’ technical, creative, and analytical skills.
http://digitalyouthnetwork.org/
Donda’s House:
Donda’s House, Inc. provides unprecedented access and education from leading experts in the arts, culture & entertainment industry to Chicago’s creative youth and young adults ages 14 – 24.
http://www.dondashouseinc.org/
Free Spirit Media:
FREE SPIRIT MEDIA provides teens and young adults in communities of color on Chicago’s West and South sides with a comprehensive foundation in media literacy and hands-on media production experience.
https://freespiritmedia.org/overview
Hive Chicago:
Hive Chicago is comprised of 85 youth-development focused organizations, such as museums, libraries, advocacy groups, higher education institutions, after-school programs, and tech start-ups.
https://hivechicago.org/about/
John Walt Foundation:
The John Walt Foundation empowers and enables youth across multiple artistic platforms. We intend to partner professional artist with youth to help mentor as well as build their artistic futures. We are here to embolden the creative soul of every young artist by inspiring a few to take their dreams and accomplish them. Check out their Young Artist Scholarship.
https://www.johnwaltfoundation.org/about
National Youth Art Movement:
NYAM emerging artists are young people who are deeply moved by preliminary issues among our city, and stand up through art as activists.
https://www.nationalyouthartmovement.org/
Marwen:
The Marwen mission is to give artists the opportunity to grow in a community outside of the everyday life they may endure. Through courses and workshops, students are empowered to develop artistic skills, experiment with various media, and discover new interests and ideas.
Merit School Of Music - Tuition-Free Conservatory:
Committed, passionate and disciplined, students are showcased annually, taught and are integrated into a greater musical community.
https://meritmusic.org/alice-s-pfaelzer-tuition-free-conservatory/
Shedd Aquarium:
Connect with amazing animals and see some of the hands-on opportunities available within teen programs. Some of the programs offered include Teen Learning Lab, a Teen Work-Study Program, as well as marine and biology summer programs.
https://www.sheddaquarium.org/Learning-Experiences/Teen-Programs/
Social Works:
Social Works aims to empower youth through the arts, education, and civic engagement while fostering leadership, accessibility, and positivity within Chicago.
https://www.socialworkschi.org/
Studio Arts Program:
The Studio Arts Program offers after-school and summer Studio Arts Apprenticeships through a collaboration with After School Matters. The Studio Arts Apprenticeship is a job-skill building program for teens ages 14-18.
http://www.praachicago.org/our-programs/studio-arts-programs/
Smart Museum Teen Programs:
Programs have been piloted and created by Smart Museum, in order to create a safe space for renovation and creation.
https://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/programs-events/teen-program/
Teen Arts Pass:
With the Teen Arts Pass, teens can experience live arts performances all around Chicago for only $5.
https://teenartspass.urbangateways.org/
WWP West Side Writing Project :
The Westside Writing Project (WWP) is a youth enrichment program that works to expand the realm of opportunities for area students ages 13-21 by providing exposure, guidance, and support in areas of digital media, journalism, and technology.
http://westsidewriting.org/about/
Yollocalli Arts Research:
The mission is to strengthen the value of youth art and culture by providing equal access to communal, artistic, and cultural resources that allow youth to become creative and engaged community members.
Youth Art Council:
“We are a group of young Chicagoland artists that exist to utilize our theater training to connect people with the stories on stage. We believe theater can educate and empower by building bridges between diverse peoples.”
https://www.goodmantheatre.org/Engage-Learn/For-Youth/Youth-Arts-Council/
Youth Communications Chicago:
Offers empowering programs for the youth of Chicago in areas of writing, publishing, and art integration.
http://www.youthcommunicationchicago.org/programs.html
Youth Art Board:
Youth Art Board is Hyde Park Art Center’s program for south side high school students. Meet over 30 weeks throughout the academic year to develop group projects, curate exhibitions, and represent the Art Center at public events.
http://www.hydeparkart.org/education/teens/
YOUmedia:
YOUmedia Chicago is an innovative, 21st-century teen digital learning space at 12 Chicago Public Library locations.
https://www.chipublib.org/programs-and-partnerships/youmedia/
Youth Groups
Youth Groups
AIC (Art Institute of Chicago) Teen Council:
The Art Institute of Chicago offers a very cohesive networked program, for learning about museum careers and adding to the creative community behind the museum's board in order to help it operate inclusively.
https://www.artic.edu/learn-with-us/teens/opportunities-for-teens
IntuiTeens:
This program for students offers an immersive look at outsider art through field trips and activities, interns represent Intuit across the city and in the museum through leading original art-making workshops.
http://www.art.org/intuiteens/
Louder Than A Bomb Squad & Write to the City:
In the months after our annual Louder Than A Bomb Youth Poetry Festival, poets are invited to apply for Bomb Squad based on their craft, content, dedication, work ethic, interest in pursuing the life of an artist/teaching artist, and ability to be an ambassador for YCA.
https://youngchicagoauthors.org/programs/summer/louder-than-a-bomb-squad
MSI Teen Advisory Committee and Science Achievers:
Teens gain leadership skills while exploring science and preparing for college and careers.
Teens become more comfortable with science and understand its impact on their lives by engaging Museum guests in activities.
https://www.msichicago.org/education/out-of-school-time/science-minors/science-achievers/
Teen Creative Agency at the MCA:
MCA’s intensive, immersive creative youth development program, is made up of 25 committed teens from ages 15-19 from all over Chicago. The mission is to build a strong team of creative collaborators, that can organize events and programs for giving the youth of Chicago artistic opportunities
https://mcachicago.org/Learn/Teens/TCA
The Chicago International Film Festival Student Film Council:
The Council is a program for students who have a passion and appreciation for film, cinema, and the moving image.
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/education/studentfilmcouncil/
Teen Writers Studio:
Twice a month throughout the school year, a group of teens from all over the city meet at 826CHI to practice writing and explore their personal styles. Professional authors visit to lead workshops, share their experiences as writers, and introduce students to a variety of genres.
https://www.826chi.org/programs#high-school
Teen Arts Council:
Student leaders who develop creative skills, leadership experience and opportunities for peers to engage with the arts.
https://arts.uchicago.edu/arts-public-life/youth-programs
TRACE: Teens Re-Imagining Art, Community & Environment
Partnering with the Chicago Park District TRACE works alongside some of Chicago’s most dynamic and influential artists and educators.
https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/programs-memberships/trace
Youth Council at The Field Museum:
12-14 passionate teens from the Chicagoland area, to work alongside the museum strengthening the outreach to the up and coming generation in areas of science and history. It gives the museum a chance to gain input from a younger audience in order to plan events in efforts to outreach Chicago's youth.
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/visit/daily-activities/youth-council
Youth-Led
FemPowerment:
Created in November 2016, Fempowerment is Chicago’s first student-led city-wide intersectional feminist organization. They work through:
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fundraising for organizations/causes
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encouraging direct action by linking young activists to protest groups
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creating space for young Chicagoans (elementary through high school) to discuss social justice and self-love
https://fempowermentchi.wixsite.com/fpchi
The I Project
The I Project is an activism and art organization, fighting gun violence by centering the needs of its stakeholders. We are striving for a world in which every community is an oasis, abundant with the resources needed to grant its members sustainable mobility. Through our work we aim to humanize stakeholders of systemic violence by giving them artistic platforms as well as combat gun violence by addressing its root causes.