What is the WYO? (in a nutshell)
First and foremost the YO is a comfy basement space where
junior high and high school teens can unwind, relax, and be themselves.
We know first hand that
every teen needs a space away from home to let off steam, and most of
our regulars stop by after school and on the weekends to do just that.
They watch
movies, play pool, ping-pong or foosball, and hang out with our awesome
staff.
The YO is a place for everyone and we are
here for every teen whether they want to lounge
around with a cup of coffee, talk about their day, or run around
singing
"Eye of the Tiger" at the top of their lungs. (yes, that happens quite
often and is probably the most frequently played track on our 60's era
jukebox)
In
addition to being a place to
hangout anytime, the YO is also a place where teens can find fun things
to do, meet new
people, and express themselves. The
YO offers a ton of monthly events including things like music jam
sessions,
concerts, art fairs, and trips around Chicago and the North Shore.
There is more below about other events we offer, and we are always
adding to the list. We strongly encourage anyone that walks into the YO
to get involved and plan something that they would want to do!
In the 40 years the YO has been around we've gone through a long list of hosted events.
Here's a smattering of one-time programs we've done recently: (take a deep breath) yoga nights, game tournaments, movie marathons about every genre, current event discussions, writing workshops, poetry slams, comedy club meetings, art projects, sewing workshops, trips downtown to go thrift shopping and holiday shopping, outings to festivals during the summer, lock-ins, LGBTQ dances, barbeques and picnics, beach parties, drum circle, music lessons, internships, and hip hop classes.
In addition to these unique events, we offer regular monthly and annual events aimed at building leadership and citizenship and encouraging diversity...
By far our most popular monthly events are those that are music or art related. Chief among these are our monthly concerts, which feature local teen bands and provide not only an outlet for young musicians, but also an alternative to parties and other late night activities. We also regularly host Open Mic Nights in our space or in local coffee shops which offer individual musicians, poets and comedians a place to perform. In addition to the monthly concerts, we also host two outdoor festival events each year around Winnetka that focus on bringing diversity to the youth in the community. They often feature dance performances, local organization booths and games, ethnic food, and speakers on the topic of the month. One takes place during each semester and most recently they have been held at Hubbard Woods Park in Winnetka off Greenbay Rd. Watch for Rock Against Racism in October and Youth Diversity Fest in April.
Educational Programs
Any day at the YO youth can also find lots to talk about. We regularly posts topics up around the center on our "News You Can Use" wall, and update our Cultural Awareness board that displays information about foreign holidays, upcoming events around Chicago, and newspaper clippings. These boards, whether they feature silly articles from the Onion or pieces on current events, provoke discussion and help inform teens and engage them in an interesting way. In the past the display has featured information about events such as Buddha's Birthday, Communities of Chicago, Earth Day Opportunities, and Black History Month Debates.
Volunteer OutingsAt least once a month the YO takes teens to volunteer in Evanston and around the city. These projects not only give back to the surrounding communities, but they allow teens to get out of the area, experience diversity, and feel good about giving back. Past projects have included cleaning up beaches, helping out at festivals and charity fund raisers, answering phones for Channel 11, making and serving dinner at soup kitchens, organizing food and clothing drives, and tutoring children.
The YO also takes a trip each summer to cities around the United States to camp and volunteer for a week. Teens get a chance to bond with each other and staff, have some fun, and get down and dirty. The summer trip usually culminates in a camping trip at a nearby state park where we relax after our week of work and the teens enjoy hiking, swimming or white water rafting. For more information about our Summer Service Trip, contact our Executive Director. We're always looking for new teens to join!
For photos of some of our volunteer outings, visit our volunteering page.
Youth BoardThe Youth Board is a great, easy way for teens to get more involved at the YO. The board meets monthly to talk about new ideas for events, ways to fund raise for outings they want to take, and how to get the word out to incoming freshman and 8th graders. Youth Board is especially important because it allows the teens that have used the center throughout their high school experience to to take a leadership role, boost their resume for college, and give back by ushering in the next group of YO-sters. Positions on the youth board include YB President, Publicity Coordinator, Volunteering Coordinator and Fundraising Coordinator. Stop by anytime to ask about Youth Board.
Oh, did we mention there's free pizza at every meeting? Mmm....
Who are we?
Meet our staff at our new Staff Page! (up
and running soon)
The best way to find out about us is to drop by. Stop in anytime. We'll be here.