Youth Guidance Chicago

Men’s mental health is shaped by the values young men are given space to learn and live by.

That’s why in Becoming a Man (BAM), participants engage with core values such as integrity, accountability, self‑determination, respect for womanhood, positive expression of anger, and visionary goal‑setting.

These values offer young men a framework for understanding their emotions, reflecting on their choices, and developing a stronger sense of self.

Join us and our partners on July 3rd for a Late Night Recreation event at the Sankofa YMCA! 🎮🏀

From 7:30–11:30 PM, enjoy music, food, games, and painting in a fun, safe space for teens 14+.

Teens can also sign up for a FREE YMCA membership!

✨ Come as the Future You ✨

The 2026 WOW Banquet was a powerful celebration of growth, resilience, and possibility. From inspiring student stories to a dynamic panel of professionals, the evening uplifted the voices of young women stepping boldly into their futures.

With moving poetry, moments of sisterhood, and the presentation of the 360 Achievement Scholarship (established by WOW founder Gail Day) to four exceptional leaders, this night was more than a celebration, it was a reminder that every young woman deserves to be seen, heard, and empowered.

Here’s to becoming, believing, and building the future together. 💐

Youth Guidance was proud to join the Race Against Gun Violence in Grant Park alongside Strides for Peace and dozens of organizations committed to building safer, stronger communities.

Community members from across Chicago came together to walk, run, and stand in support of the people and programs working every day to prevent violence, create opportunities for young people, and strengthen neighborhoods.

The event was a powerful reminder that prevention work is rooted in community. It can be challenging and urgent, but it can also be hopeful, joyful, and deeply connected.

As we observe Gun Violence Awareness Month, we are reminded that lasting change requires collective action. When nonprofits, schools, community leaders, and residents come together around a shared purpose, we can create the conditions for young people and communities to thrive.

Together, we move closer to a future free from violence.

Everyone deserves someone in their corner.

At Youth Guidance, we bring that support directly into schools through programs that help students navigate challenges, build healthy relationships, and discover their strengths.

This Pride Month, we celebrate the importance of creating school communities where every young person feels safe, seen, and valued for who they are.

When young people know they have a trusted adult they can turn to, they are more likely to feel connected, confident, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Because when youth feel supported, they can thrive.

"BAM gave us permission to pour our hearts out and hold each other up. I started showing empathy toward others—and toward myself. That was new." - Daniel, BAM Alum & Counselor

For Daniel, Becoming A Man (BAM) was the first place he felt safe enough to open up to talk about pain, build brotherhood, and learn that vulnerability could be met with care instead of judgement.

This Men's Mental Health Month, we're honoring Daniel's story and the space that made his healing possible.

Read Daniel's full story: https://www.youth-guidance.org/becoming-us-bam-made-me-believe-i-could-be-something/

🚴🏾‍♂️ Think outside the block.

Youth Guidance is proud to support the 13th Annual Ride N Peace as a Safe Ambassador, joining community organizations, residents, and partners committed to creating safer, stronger neighborhoods for young people and families.

Ride N Peace is more than a bike ride—it's a powerful demonstration of what is possible when communities come together to promote peace, connection, and opportunity. Through collective action and positive engagement, this event helps shine a light on the people and organizations working every day to build a brighter future across Chicago.

📅 Friday, June 12
📍 Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine Ave.
🕓 Meet Up: 4:00 p.m. | Roll Off: 8:00 p.m.

We invite our community to come out, ride, and stand together for peace.

Happy Pride Month 🌈

At Youth Guidance, we believe every young person deserves to feel seen, valued, and supported for who they are.

Through our programs and partnerships with schools, we help create spaces where young people can build confidence, strengthen relationships, develop a sense of belonging, and show up as their authentic selves.

This Pride Month, we celebrate the diversity of the young people, families, and communities we serve. We also reaffirm our commitment to creating environments where all youth feel safe, supported, and empowered to thrive.

This Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month and Gun Violence Awareness Month, we’re lifting up a truth we see every day:

Violence prevention is mental health work.

In Youth Guidance’s Becoming a Man (BAM) program, young men are given something too many have gone without: a safe space to be honest about what they’re carrying, process difficult experiences, and build the skills to navigate life’s challenges in healthy ways.

Healing starts with being heard.

That’s why BAM creates space for young men to speak openly, support one another, and learn that strength isn’t about staying silent—it’s about knowing when to ask for help.

We don’t expect perfection.
We create opportunities for growth.
And we remind young men every day that it’s okay to not be okay.

Every young person deserves a trusted adult, a supportive community, and the chance to heal before hurt turns into harm.

What can horses teach teenagers from Chicago? Quite a lot, it turns out.

On a rainy April day, 16 students from Youth Guidance’s BAM and WOW programs at Noble Baker College Prep traveled to Rodeo for Lives in Crete, Illinois, where they met real-life cowboys and cowgirls, practiced roping, groomed horses, and discovered lessons in discipline, resilience, and care.

For many, it was their first time this close to a horse. For all of them, it was a day they won’t soon forget.

Our newest story, What the Horses Taught Them, explores how one field trip became something deeper: a lesson in slowing down, paying attention, and connecting to history, legacy, and themselves.

Thank you to Rodeo for Lives, the Hughes and Latting families, the Michigan State University Rodeo Club, the Vivo Foundation, and Youth Guidance counselors Andrei Heward-Mills and Desiree Sheppard for making this experience possible.

Read the story: https://www.youth-guidance.org/what-the-horses-taught-them/