EMPOWERING YOUTH, INSPIRING FUTURES

A Century of Impact

As we cross this momentous milestone, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude to announce that Youth Guidance is celebrating 100 years. This incredible journey from our modest beginnings to becoming a national force for positive change has been shaped by the unwavering commitment of our community, partners, and, most importantly, the countless lives we have touched.
Michelle Adler-Morrison
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Tell Us Your Story

Are you a Youth Guidance alum or former staffer? Do you have story to tell? We may choose your story and add it to our Century of Impact Story Bank.
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OUR PROGRAMS

Guiding Kids to Bright Futures

 

Youth Guidance’s Becoming A Man® program (BAM®) is a school-based group counseling program that guides young men in 6th to 12th grades to learn, internalize and practice social cognitive skills, make responsible decisions for their future and become positive members of their school and community.

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The Working on Womanhood (WOW) program is a school-based, trauma-informed group counseling program that improves the social-emotional competencies for girls in 6th to 12th grades who are exposed to traumatic stressors in under-resourced communities.

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Community & After School Programs (CAP) at Youth Guidance is a transformative initiative that revolves around neighborhood public schools, inviting youth, families, and communities into a culture of learning.

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Tell Us Your Story

Are you a Youth Guidance alum or former staffer? Do you have story to tell? We may choose your story and add it to our Century of Impact Story Bank.
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Youth Guidance’s Career Readiness & Success (CRS) programs play a pivotal role in bridging the opportunity gap for youth from under-resourced communities.

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Community Connections is a program that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the various challenges faced by families, including grief, loss, economic hardships, isolation, and mental health concerns.

Youth Guidance’s Evolve initiative is a Tier 2 educator led social-emotional learning (SEL) program designed to provide training and implementation resources to 2-3 school-based staff per school to implement the most effective components of the organization’s evidence-based SEL programs — Becoming a Man (BAM) & Working on Womanhood (WOW).

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Tell Us Your Story

Are you a Youth Guidance alum or former staffer? Do you have story to tell? We may choose your story and add it to our Century of Impact Story Bank.
SHARE YOUR STORY

 

Youth Guidance’s STRIVE Program (Strategies to Rejuvenate Interest and Value in Education) is a valuable partnership with local public schools and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). This program is dedicated to supporting youth in care during their transition into adulthood and empowering them to lead productive lives.

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Helping our parents to better serve their youth at home, Parent and Family Engagement (PFE) continues to increase resources and support we provide to families. The difficulty of the last two years on families shifted our perspective on what they truly needed to help youth live fulfilling lives.

With the generosity of our grant partners, the PFE team provides ongoing support to families through needs such as food, clothing, school supplies, hygiene kits, and social-emotional learning kits. We have also recruited more Parent Mentors to support parents and families, and continue to conduct needs assessments and provide on-going grade level parent supports circles monthly to help parents cope with stress.

Rickey Williams | BAM Regional Manager

Rickey Williams

July 16, 2024 BY SARAH CONNOR

Rickey Williams celebrates an incredible nine years with Youth Guidance, where he has worn many hats within the organization. Currently serving as a regional manager, Rickey’s journey began as a counselor, progressed to supervisor, and then to a curriculum specialist. Throughout his career, Rickey has been dedicated to guiding BAM (Becoming A Man) students towards brighter futures.

Rickey’s story is one of resilience and determination. He attended Hyde Park High School in Chicago and grew up in a low-income community and was raised by his mother and step-father. During his high school years, Rickey was involved in gang activities. Despite the odds, he managed to avoid incarceration, unlike many of his friends, and attended college. Fueled by survivor’s remorse, Rickey made it his mission to help others rise above their circumstances. His work with Youth Guidance gives him the opportunity to fulfill this mission, providing opportunities and support to those in need. He believes that if his friends had access to programs like BAM, they could have been steered to more positive paths.

Rickey earned his bachelor’s degree in political science with the intention of studying law to help his friends who were incarcerated. But as a student, he realized that addressing the root causes and helping students go to college was a more effective way to prevent incarceration, so he went on to pursue a master’s degree in higher education. Not many people from his high school made it to college. Rickey wanted to change that.

As a BAM counselor, Rickey treated his students like family, offering unwavering support from helping with resumes and college tours to attending their basketball games. Sadly, some of his students were felled by violence, both in high school and adulthood. Despite the heartbreak, Rickey finds solace in the success stories of his BAM students who have gone on to achieve great things.

One of Rickey’s former BAM students, Namon Smith, was so inspired by his relationship with Rickey that he became a BAM counselor himself . Another student, Lokeimon, graduated from Tougaloo College with a degree in computer science, thanks to Rickey’s ongoing support even in college. DeAngelo, another former BAM student, now serves as a correctional officer. Rickey takes immense pride in watching these young men grow, become fathers, and succeed in their journeys.

Rickey attributes the success of his students to the transformative BAM curriculum, which includes learning about indigenous cultures and African Rites of Passage. He also acknowledges the impact of The Mankind Project, which teaches young men confidence, trust, and other essential skills.

The BAM program has also profoundly impacted Rickey’s life. Through his role as a counselor, he has undergone the same rigorous training and self-development as his students. This experience has made him more patient and calm, equipped him with clinical theories, insights into social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed care, and taught him how to share his emotions with others. Rickey appreciates the safe space and curriculum created by Tony DiVittorio, the founder of BAM, and values the ongoing monthly training that fosters self-development for both staff and students.

As a Black man, Rickey often sees negative portrayals of Black men in society. However, his role as a BAM counselor has allowed him to  become a positive role model for his students. Rickey is proud to be a part of Youth Guidance and to contribute to the positive portrayal of Black men. We are so grateful for men like Rickey who have dedicated their lives to guiding kids to brighter tomorrows.