Project S.O.S.

SPROUT: SEEDS OF PREVENTION, RECONCILIATION & OUTREACH FOR URBAN TEENS

The fundamental goal of SPROUT is to successfully equip each of our teens with the success principles and life-skills they need to flourish. The critical areas of focus are: academic success, conflict resolution, violence prevention, social-emotional intelligence, pro-social skill development, service learning, and the development of employable skills.

CSER: Community Servants Emergency Response

CSER is a trained team of first responders educated on violence de-escalation, community safety, violence prevention and community mobilization. While called to various emergency situations, trained Community Servants will act as resourceful volunteers to respond in the aftermath of an emergency situation.

ASAP: Alternative Sentencing & Advocacy Program

ASAP has been developed to offer the justice system with some remedies. It is important to note that the very system designed to protect and support the full development of individuals actually mitigates (works) against and in many cases provides actual barriers to success.

ABC: A Better Chance (CAREERS PROGRAM)

The goal of ABC is to effectively address the unmet needs of underserved adolescent populations in Chicago by providing wraparound employability services that equip individuals with the necessary skills to become gainfully employed and /or to reach their educational goals.

ReUp Re-Entry Project: Reinvesting. Reassessing. Retooling. Reengaging. Repositioning.

ReUp recognizes that in order for re-entry to be successful and sustainable, it has to offer more than job-placement; rather there needs to be a holistic, trauma-informed approach that changes the mindset of the individual about crime while giving them the wrap-around comprehensive services they need to be successful. While this program has been designed for specifically ex-offenders as its primary audience, many services are also offered to individuals needing to reposition themselves in the workforce and society.

ABC: A Better Chance (CAREERS PROGRAM)

The goal of ABC is to effectively address the unmet needs of underserved adolescent populations in Chicago by providing wraparound employability services that equip individuals with the necessary skills to become gainfully employed and /or to reach their educational goals.

ICU: Individualized Coaching with Urgency

ICU proposes to provide an understandable and transformative approach to conflict management which will help 150 children, 100 caregivers, 50 mentors, and community members to improve their efficacy in conflict management while developing greater sense of openness to others.

Project PAUSE

Project PAUSE: A Proactive Approach to Reducing Gender-Based Violence

The Process - Pause. Access. Understand. Strategy. Evaluate.

NEST: Nurturing Environments & Services for Teens

A NEST is one of the outreach facilities/ sites that house all of the services, programs and resources for teens. NESTs are vibrant, nurturing environments that are uplifting and reflect the positive interests of the teens of those various communities. Each NEST provides teens with 7 Critical components for positive youth development:

Say Less: Anti-Bullying Program

SAY LESS is a social and emotional learning (SEL) approach to bullying. Recent research supports that far too often, bullying prevention programs don’t work because youth lack the skills necessary to navigate and overcome the many challenges of their lives. However, SAY LESS understands that what improves the well-being of youth is building skills and changing their social environments by increasing specific protective factors and decreasing numerous risk factors. This empowers youth with tools to redirect aggression and de-escalate potential conflict.

CREAM: Currency Regulates Everything Around Me

CREAM has been developed to promote financial responsibility among youth by building their basic money management skills. Many of our nation’s youth advance into adulthood without learning the necessary skills that lead to financial independence and fiscal well-being. CREAM instills in participants that the financial decisions they make today will impact their futures. CREAM curriculum includes practical tips and activities to help teens learn important skills such as balancing a checkbook, creating a budget, post-high school planning, calculating interest, preparing a business plan and understanding the power of various forms of currency.