YOUTH GUIDANCE STORIES
Welcome to the Youth Guidance blog. Here, we aim to educate, inform, and inspire our friends, supporters, and partners by sharing stories of resilience, growth, and positive change in the lives of the youth we serve.
BAM: Breaking Cycles, One Choice at a Time
Jacob was only seven years old when his mother drove him to a gang meeting. His older siblings were already affiliated. There was no defining moment, just a quiet understanding that this was his path too. In many neighborhoods across Los Angeles, gang culture isn’t something young people choose. It is something they inherit. For Latino youth in particular, it can feel like a family tradition. Passed down through generations, it often becomes the only source of identity, protection, and belonging when support systems are lacking. By middle school, Jacob had already seen more than most kids his age. When he joined Becoming a Man (BAM) at Bunche Middle School, something shifted. BAM didn’t try to fix him. It offered him space to reflect. For the first time, he was asked who he wanted to become, not who he had been told to be. That question opened the door to a life-changing decision. With encouragement from his BAM counselor, Jesus, Jacob chose to leave the gang. He got jumped out. The consequences were immediate. “I don’t have any friends anymore,” he told Jesus. “Everyone I knew was from the gang.” Jacob was left completely alone. No one at home encouraged him to go to school. Still, he rode the train across the city everyday. Many times, he showed up only for BAM. It was the one space where he felt seen, valued, and emotionally safe. Where gang life once gave him brotherhood, BAM offered something stronger. He found trust, accountability, and a place where healing could begin. Healing, however, does not happen in a day. Jacob still carried the weight of fear. The risk of retaliation lingered. He felt unsure of where he belonged. Jesus and the school principal noticed this, and they stepped in. Together, they created a modified school schedule so Jacob could move through the building safely and stay engaged in his education. That support made a difference. Jacob began to attend more regularly. He joined the basketball stat crew to feel connected again. He started to believe there was a place for him outside of the life he was raised in. Then came a setback. Jacob was involved in a physical altercation and was expelled. He is now waiting on a district hearing to determine whether he can return to Bunche Middle School. He doesn't want to start over, but he does want to continue his journey with BAM. Jacob’s story is still unfolding. When a young person has spent a lifetime being shaped by survival, those instincts do not disappear in a year. It takes time to unlearn. It takes consistent support, and people who refuse to walk away when things get hard. The fact that Jacob is still showing up, still asking to be in BAM, and still wanting something different says everything about his potential. BAM exists for young men like Jacob. For those who may not have had stable mentors, emotional safety, or space to reflect, BAM offers that structure. It helps build the foundation for a different future, one decision at a time. Jacob is still young. His story can still be shaped by the presence of positive adults and environments that believe in him. We will continue to show up, continue to advocate, and continue to be in his corner as he finds his way forward because building brighter futures for students comes with rainy days too.
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BAM LA: Grief, Growth, and the Power of Showing Up
Middle school is a challenging time for many young people. From hormonal shifts to middle school drama, students are trying to figure out who they are while keeping up with grades and sports. It’s truly a pivotal time in a student’s life, and for students like Makai, these everyday pressures were layered with deeper emotional struggles too. At Bunch Middle School in Los Angeles, Makai stood out for his potential, even if he hadn’t yet fully stepped into it yet. He struggled with emotional regulation and had a hard time staying calm in group settings, including the classroom. He originally expressed interest in joining Becoming a Man (BAM), a school-based program that helps young men build emotional resilience and develop core values like respect and accountability. However, during sixth and seventh grade, his counselor, Jesus Cisneros, made the difficult decision to hold off. Group circles require emotional safety, consistency, and the ability to respect others. At the time, Makai wasn’t ready. Still, Jesus never stopped supporting him. They met one-on-one regularly. By the time Makai reached eighth grade, something changed. He approached Jesus and said, “I want to do BAM this year. I want to graduate.” From that point on, he stayed committed. He turned in assignments, kept his grades up to remain eligible for basketball, and became an engaged BAM student who looked forward to group circles each week. Unfortunately, just a few weeks into the semester, Makai collapsed during basketball practice. He was rushed to the hospital, where he later passed away. The loss stunned the entire school. The following morning, BAM counselors from across Los Angeles rushed to Bunch Middle School to support students and staff. They organized a grief circle to help the school process what had happened. More than 25 students participated, including several who were not enrolled in BAM. Some cried. Some stayed silent. Others shared stories. One student said, “I’m sad, but I can’t cry.” Another said, “At least we can laugh at the memories.” The BAM counselors created a safe space for the tragedy that students and staff witnessed and the loss they now had to live with. Oftentimes, it is hard for us to realize how much what happens outside the classroom shows up inside it. Family stress, personal loss, and emotional trauma don’t stop when the bell rings. That includes the grief of losing a peer. Programs like BAM help students navigate these experiences and offer a consistent space to feel safe, supported, and heard. Although Makai’s time in BAM was brief, it was meaningful. He had just begun to see himself differently. He was making progress and learning how to lead with responsibility and purpose. His story is a reminder of what is possible when students are given the structure, mentorship, and support they need to grow. At Youth Guidance, we are committed to supporting students like Makai across Los Angeles. Through BAM, we continue helping young men navigate life’s challenges, build resilience, and create school communities where no one has to face hardship alone.
Read MoreFinding Their Frequency: BAM Los Angeles Hands Students the Podcast Mic
"We wanted to showcase what BAM actually is. The honesty, the laughter, the realness of those circles, but through a platform the students already connect with." — Raymond Byrdsong, BAM Senior Youth Specialist LOS ANGELES — On a quiet Saturday morning in January, when most high schoolers might still be asleep, five teenagers filed into a podcast studio in Culver City. They slipped on oversized headphones, leaned into the microphones, and exhaled. The red recording light blinked on. They called themselves The Starting Five. Over ten weeks, these young men — all participants in Youth Guidance Los Angeles’ Becoming a Man (BAM) program — would transform The Network Studios into something like a second classroom, one without desks or tests, but full of light, laughter, and self-discovery. Together, they would launch Youth Voices Amplified, a new podcast that reimagines what it means to listen to and learn from young men of color growing up in Los Angeles. The idea came from Raymond Byrdsong, a senior youth specialist with BAM, and Kenyon Ates, founder and CEO of The New Sound Initiative, a nonprofit of The Network Studios that teaches middle and high schoolers real-world skills through podcast production. The two met through the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Black Student Achievement Plan at Westchester High School nearly two years ago and began dreaming about how to capture the emotional power of BAM’s school-based circles — where young men meet weekly to talk about anger, accountability, and identity — in a new medium. “Anything that God blesses me with, I’m always thinking about how I can give back,” said Ates, a digital media and marketing professional who was exposed to creative storytelling at an early age. “Because I believe that’s what we’re here for—to serve each other.” “We wanted to showcase what BAM actually is,” Byrdsong said. “The honesty, the laughter, the realness of those circles, but through a platform the students already connect with.” A podcast made sense. His students were already fluent in TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. “Why not use a medium they’re already comfortable with?” Byrdsong said. “A student newspaper would’ve been boring. I wanted something vibrant, visual, alive.” Recruiting The Starting Five Out of more than 20 applicants across BAM’s eight Los Angeles schools, Byrdsong and Ates selected five: Kieshawn Brown, Corie “CJ” Byrd, Danari Golden, Kadumu “KJ” Griffin, and Bryenn Pryor-White — all students at Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets. It was, Byrdsong admits, “almost like a job interview.” Each candidate had to prove they’d show up — literally. One, KJ, took three buses each Saturday to make the 9 a.m. call time. Another showed up on his birthday. “I thought, no way are high school boys giving up their Saturday mornings,” Byrdsong said. “But they did every single week. They said, ‘If Mr. B is doing this, we’re there.’” The ten-week program, from January 20 to March 29, 2025, met from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday. The sessions were part classroom, part creative lab. Students learned lighting, sound mixing, mic technique, and editing — and, more importantly, how to translate BAM’s six core values into stories that felt personal. Graphics in mind: Kadumu “KJ” Griffin, The Starting Five's artist and visual designer, created the graphics for the podcast’s title card and two episodes, including Boss Up and Visionary Goal Setting. The Sound of Growth The first few sessions were quiet. “Once those lights came on, they froze,” Byrdsong said, laughing. But within weeks, confidence replaced caution. “By the end, they were butterflies,” he said. “Talking, laughing, creating. They owned that space.” Each student chose a core value to explore: Integrity, Accountability, Self-Determination, Positive Anger Expression, Respect for Womanhood, and Visionary Goal Setting. Byrdsong resisted assigning them; he wanted the connection to be genuine. Bryenn Pryor-White, who has long channeled emotion through music, gravitated toward Positive Anger Expression. “I’ve built up anger for a long time,” he said. “I find it inspiring to put my anger into a craft I like. It takes my mind off it.” His episode opened with the hum of a beat he produced himself. KJ, the group’s artist and visual designer, created the graphics for the podcast’s title card and two episodes, including Boss Up and Visionary Goal Setting. “He’d work on them after the sessions or late into the night,” Byrdsong said. “That was his superpower.” And Kieshawn Brown, the gregarious student who had initially stumbled over his words in front of the camera, later conducted one of the season’s standout interviews — a conversation on Respect for Womanhood featuring psychologist Dr. Asia Goodall and poet Monique Mitchell. “To see a 17-year-old interview a 33-year-old doctor was mind-blowing,” Byrdsong said. “That episode gave me goosebumps.” The pilot season’s opening episode, Boss Up, captured the chemistry of the group — part podcast, part BAM circle, facilitated by Byrdsong. The students joked, debated, and reflected on what it means to “boss up” in life: to lead, to grow, to show integrity even when no one’s watching. “It felt like we were back in the classroom, just talking — but this time, the world could hear it,” Byrdsong said. Beyond the mics, the project built deeper trust and new skills. “They left with more than podcasting knowledge,” he explained. “They left with self-awareness — with the ability to walk into a space and use their voice.” A Model for Expansion As the season wrapped, Youth Voices Amplified became more than a creative experiment — it became a model. The partnership with The New Sound Initiative remains entirely pro bono, sustained by shared purpose and an agreement between the studio and Youth Guidance Los Angeles. “Kenyon loves what BAM represents,” Byrdsong said. “He wanted to give back, to make space for young men to talk, vent, and be themselves.” Now Byrdsong is gearing up for second and third seasons of the podcast. He and Kenyon have chosen 19 students out of 27 who interviewed for a spot, drawing a new crop of budding podcasters from Westchester High. He envisions new pairings — two students per episode — and new topics that link pop culture, sports, or relationships back to BAM’s values. Pass the mic: The latest cohort from Westchester High School holds up their acceptance letters, officially joining the Youth Voices Amplified podcast. Season Two will run January 24 through March 21, 2026. “If Season One was about finding their voices, Season Two will be about using them,” he said. “I want middle schoolers involved, maybe even students from other cities. Imagine BAM Chicago and BAM LA on the same episode.” He’s also exploring ways to expand the podcast’s reach — from YouTube to Apple Podcasts and Spotify — and to attract funding to sustain future cohorts. “When funders ask, ‘What is BAM?’ this is something they can see and hear for themselves,” he said. The Echo Beyond the Studio For the students, the lessons reached far beyond production. “It helped me find calm and confidence,” said Bryenn. “It’s not just about BAM values. It’s about what I value.” And for Byrdsong, who has spent more than a decade in youth development, the project reaffirmed why he chose this work. “Proud is an understatement,” he said. “To see my boys grow, to see their joy — that’s everything. A year ago, this was just an idea. Now it’s real.” Listen to Season One of Youth Voices Amplified on YouTube, and hear how BAM students turn values into voice. Follow the podcast on Instagram to stay connected with the students behind the mic and get updates on Season Two, which will run from January 24 through March 21, 2026. A third season is planned for April 14 through June 7, 2026.
Read MoreYouth Guidance CEO Michelle Morrison Honored as Champion of Hope at Strides for Peace Conference
At the Strides for Peace Violence Prevention Conference at the UIC Forum, leaders from across Chicago gathered to examine how early intervention, school based support, and community partnership can prevent violence before it begins. The event brought together educators, nonprofit partners, young people, and advocates who share a belief that safety grows from consistent care and connection. This year, Youth Guidance’s CEO Michelle Morrison was named a Champion of Hope. The honor recognized her leadership in expanding our healing centered programs through programs like Becoming a Man (BAM) and Working on Womanhood (WOW) and her steady commitment to building safer and more equitable pathways for Chicago youth. In her acceptance speech, Morrison made clear that the award belonged to the entire Youth Guidance community. She spoke of our counselors, our school partners, and our students as the heart of the work. She emphasized that violence prevention begins upstream, where trusted adults help young people navigate emotions, relationships, and identity long before any crisis develops. “Our work starts early,” she said. “We help young people discover safety within themselves. Healing is a sustained act of love, consistency, and belief.” Her remarks reflected independent research from the University of Chicago, which shows that participants in our Becoming a Man program are significantly less likely to be arrested for a violent offense, and that students in Working on Womanhood experience meaningful reductions in symptoms of trauma, depression, and anxiety. Morrison explained that these outcomes are not simply statistics. They signal real pathways back to self worth, stability, and possibility. Several speakers at the conference connected their own histories to the urgency of prevention. Principal Harris of Whitney Young High School, who grew up in Englewood and survived a shooting as a teenager, told the audience that violence reduction is a shared responsibility. He noted that schools, families, and community organizations must work together to ensure young people feel supported, understood, and guided. Our BAM leadership also took the stage to share stories from inside the program. Two BAM students joined them and spoke about their own journeys through behavioral and violence related challenges. Their presence offered a living example of the transformation that becomes possible when young people have consistent support. Throughout the forum, our partner organizations provided resources, information, and demonstrations of the shared commitment to youth safety. A panel featuring the social media figure known as Korporate drew strong interest from our BAM and WOW students, many of whom filled the audience to hear voices that reflect their own communities and experiences. For Youth Guidance, the conference was both a celebration and a call to continue the work. It affirmed that our programs create meaningful openings for connection, healing, and growth, and that these openings can influence entire families and neighborhoods. Morrison closed her remarks with a reminder of the long arc of prevention. “Every act of connection ripples outward,” she said. “It affects families, communities, and the generations that follow.” As the conference concluded, one truth remained clear. Violence prevention requires steady partnership, deep listening, and shared commitment. Youth Guidance is proud to stand with Strides for Peace and with the many organizations across Chicago who walk beside our young people every day.
Read MoreLeading with Heart: Kathleen Leynes Selected for the Obama Leaders Program
A national leader in education, Kathleen leads EVOLVE, Youth Guidance’s first systemic, school-wide intervention designed to cultivate a culture of support and healing in schools. When the Obama Foundation announced its 2025–2026 cohort of U.S.A Leaders, one name stood out to us at Youth Guidance: Kathleen A. Leynes, DSW, LCSW, our Director of Professional Development and Curriculum Design. A national leader in education, Kathleen leads EVOLVE, Youth Guidance’s first systemic, school-wide intervention designed to cultivate a culture of support and healing in schools. Under her guidance, EVOLVE equips educators with tools and training to create emotionally safe environments where both students and adults can thrive. Before joining Youth Guidance, Kathleen spent 15 years as a high school social worker, where she co-led her district’s professional development strategy and built a pioneering advisory model that strengthened relationships between staff and students. She recently earned her Doctor of Social Work from Aurora University, completing a dissertation on how school social workers influence social-emotional school climate — a fitting reflection of her lifelong mission to build systems that honor both the humanity of students and the well-being of educators. Now, as part of the Obama Foundation’s Leaders program — a six-month long initiative that brings together changemakers committed to values-based leadership — Kathleen is poised to expand the reach and impact of her work. We sat down with her to talk about what this honor means, how EVOLVE is transforming schools, and why she believes joy and connection belong at the center of education. Kathleen A. Leynes, educator, innovator, and 2025 Obama Foundation Leader Q: How did you feel when you learned you had been selected for the Obama Foundation Leaders Program? Kathleen: Once the shock wore off, the first thing I felt was humility. To be connected to a program that celebrates the legacy of President and Mrs. Obama — what they stand for, what they’ve done for this country — is incredibly humbling. Many of their values, like leading with empathy, are things I deeply align with. At the same time, it felt like a gift. For the past decade, I’ve poured so much energy into building programs, and in the last three years, I’ve focused exclusively on EVOLVE. I hadn’t spent much time thinking about how I wanted to grow as a leader. At this moment, in this country, it’s critical for leaders like me to find a community of peers who are facing similar challenges — to connect, lean on one another, and figure out solutions together. Q: Tell us about EVOLVE. What makes this work so urgent right now? Kathleen: EVOLVE equips educators with tools to build safe, healing-centered school environments. Right now, schools are grappling with rising youth mental-health needs. For me, EVOLVE is about the parallel process. We can’t expect students to build resilience and empathy if adults in schools aren’t supported to do the same. When educators experience healing and belonging, they can pass that along to students. That ripple effect transforms entire school communities. Q: You’ve said your proudest accomplishment was building a district-wide advisory program earlier in your career. How did that shape the work you do now? Kathleen: That experience taught me that relationships drive everything. We hand-scheduled every student into groups that matched their academic, social, and emotional needs. We matched staff to students based on their unique strengths and lived experiences. Over time, advisory became the heartbeat of the school. Students who once felt invisible started showing up — not just physically, but emotionally. Teachers realized they had more to offer than their instructional skills. That was the foundation for EVOLVE: proof that when you design with intention and humanity, you can transform outcomes and experiences. Q: Growing up Filipina American, you’ve described food as a first language of culture and connection. How does that upbringing influence your leadership today? Kathleen: Food was where my family gathered, laughed, and preserved our heritage. We didn’t always have time for long conversations about life in the Philippines, but we always had time to eat together. Those meals were acts of care and culture. That’s why I use food as a relational tool in my work. One of my favorite EVOLVE check-in questions is: “What dish would you bring to an EVOLVE barbecue?” It opens the door to stories, identity, and joy. For me, food is about belonging — and creating spaces where people feel fully human with one another. Q: Who has inspired you most as a leader? Kathleen: Corazon Aquino, the first female president of the Philippines. Her leadership emerged from personal tragedy, but she led a peaceful revolution that restored democracy. What struck me was her quiet confidence — she led with conviction, compassion, and resilience, not dominance. She showed me that empathy isn’t a weakness; it’s a force for change. That’s the model I try to follow: leading with humility, listening deeply, and standing up for what’s right, even in difficult moments. Q: Looking ahead, what is your long-term vision for EVOLVE and for your work as a changemaker? Kathleen: Our vision is bold: to reach 400,000 middle- and high-school youth of color in high-poverty, high-violence communities across the U.S. by creating school ecosystems with emotionally attuned, culturally competent adults. It’s about more than numbers. It’s about creating schools where students feel seen, educators feel supported, and joy is part of the daily experience. Postscript Kathleen’s selection as an Obama Leader is more than a personal achievement — it’s a testament to the transformative work happening at Youth Guidance. Through EVOLVE, she is helping redefine what schools can be: not just places of academic instruction, but places of healing, connection, and joy. As she embarks on this new chapter, the entire Youth Guidance community celebrates alongside her — proud, inspired, and eager to see how her journey will continue to ripple outward to educators, students, and communities nationwide.
Read MoreYouth Guidance Highlights Youth Mental Health Crisis, Scalable Solutions at Investor Day
Showcases replicable, evidence‑based school programs designed to reach more youth CHICAGO, IL -- Nov. 13, 2025 -- Youth Guidance, a national leader in youth development, hosted its first-ever Investor Day on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, taking a business-model approach to social impact by highlighting the returns the organization’s programs deliver to communities nationwide. Bringing together more than 100 philanthropic, civic, corporate and education leaders, the event positioned Youth Guidance’s proven models as both a moral imperative and a strategic investment — emphasizing both human impact and societal benefits. Former Chicago Mayor and U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel attended the event and spoke with Bloomberg’s Chicago Bureau Chief Isis Almeida in a fireside chat highlighting the critical role of community-based youth interventions amid a worsening mental health crisis — one that has led 40% of high-school students nationwide to report feeling persistently sad or hopeless. "This is an emergency that cannot wait," said Ambassador Emanuel. "Violence and trauma are shaping young lives before they have even begun. Organizations like Youth Guidance show that when you meet young people with care, consistency, and opportunity, they rise above the circumstances that hold them back. Youth Guidance is doing the work today that determines what kind of city and what kind of country we’ll have tomorrow." (Left to right): U.S. Ambassador and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel joins Bloomberg Chicago Bureau Chief Isis Almeida for a fireside chat; Youth Guidance CEO Michelle Morrison highlights Youth Guidance’s vision for the future; Eva Giglio, executive director of the CME Group Foundation, moderates a panel with Schurz High School Principal Heidy Moran and Youth Guidance alumni Maniya Franklin and David Magallanes on the life-changing impact of BAM and WOW at the inaugural Investor Day. Attendees also heard from the leaders of Youth Guidance’s flagship programs Becoming a Man (BAM) and Working on Womanhood (WOW), along with its newer EVOLVE initiative, who described how these trauma-informed, evidence-based programs improve student well-being, mental health, and academic success. Beyond student impact, every $1 invested in BAM yields $30 in long-term benefits to society through reduced crime, higher graduation rates, and stronger lifetime earnings, according to independent research from the University of Chicago. "Organizations like Youth Guidance show that when you meet young people with care, consistency, and opportunity, they rise above the circumstances that hold them back." — Ambassador Rahm Emanuel "Supporting youth programs is both a moral responsibility and a strategic investment — one that builds stronger schools, safer neighborhoods, and more vibrant communities," said Michelle Morrison, CEO of Youth Guidance. "Our approach is both personal and scalable. Whether it’s BAM, WOW, or EVOLVE, we meet students where they are — in their schools, during the school day — and help them heal, grow, and succeed. And with the right investments, we can deliver that return to hundreds of thousands more young people in the next decade." Youth Guidance currently serves nearly 20,000 students each year, and aims to expand its reach to nearly 400,000 students over the next decade through its Bright Futures campaign, growing within the 12 cities it already serves and introducing BAM, WOW, and EVOLVE to new school districts across the U.S. About Youth GuidanceYouth Guidance creates and implements school-based programs that help children overcome obstacles, focus on their education and, ultimately, succeed in school and in life. Youth Guidance programs are currently present in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Fla., Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Seattle, Tampa, Fla., and Washington D.C. Support our mission and learn more at: www.youth-guidance.org
Read MoreThe Father of BAM: How One Chicago Counselor Changed the Lives of Thousands
In 1999, Anthony Ramirez-Di Vittorio, lovingly known as Tony D., spotted a small ad in the Chicago Tribune that changed everything. The job posting was for a counselor position at Youth Guidance. At the time, he was working as a therapist. But something about that listing called to him. “It just spoke to me,” he later said. “I wasn’t supposed to be in an office. I was supposed to be with young people.” That instinct led Tony into the hallways of Clemente High School, where he began his work with Project Prepare, mentoring students in some of Chicago’s most underserved neighborhoods. The young men he met were Black, Puerto Rican, and white boys navigating trauma, poverty, and systemic injustice. This showed him that their challenges ran deeper than academics. “They were angry, shut down, disconnected,” Tony recalled. “They didn’t need more punishment. “They didn’t need more punishment. They needed a space to be seen, to be heard, to ask: who am I, and who do I want to become?” He gave them that space by pulling desks into circles and starting conversations about manhood, respect, anger, and accountability. These were not just sessions. They were rituals. And they worked. Building the Blueprint By 2001, those informal circles had crystallized into a curriculum: Becoming A Man (BAM). Inspired by Carl Rogers’ humanistic psychology and rites-of-passage traditions, Tony crafted a framework rooted in values, reflection, and transformation. Students were asked not just to reflect on where they came from, but to decide who they wanted to be and then practice it. The BAM model helped them slow down, regulate emotions, and make conscious choices. One early participant told him, “That BAM stuff you taught me really works.” Tony is quick to deflect credit. “I’m not the creator of BAM, my mother is,” he says. Raised by a Mexican American single mom who modeled resilience and compassion, Tony credits her spirit as the guiding force behind his life’s work. The Domino Effect What began as one man, one circle, and one classroom has now become a national and international movement. BAM currently operates in cities across the U.S., including Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Kansas City, Seattle, and Philadelphia, and has even been adapted in London. Its impact is undeniable: 50% reduction in violent crime arrests, according to research from the University of Chicago’s Urban Labs 19% increase in high school graduation rates Measurable declines in PTSD and anxiety symptoms Stronger school engagement and emotional intelligence In Boston, students like Devon say BAM gave them “a brotherhood,” motivation to attend college tours, and tools to stay focused. In the U.K., the Mental Health Foundation cited BAM as a promising intervention for youth. Carrying the Work Forward Today, BAM is regarded as one of the most effective school-based counseling and mentoring programs in the world. Its success lies in its simplicity and humanity. The six core values are integrity, accountability, self-determination, positive anger expression, respect for womanhood, and visionary goal-setting. More than two decades later, Tony’s vision continues to ripple outward through the thousands of counselors and students carrying BAM forward. Tony no longer facilitates circles in a single classroom, but his voice still echoes in each one. Every time a young man steps into a BAM room, takes a deep breath, and chooses a different path, the ripple effect of Tony’s work expands. Where manhood was once measured in silence and scars, BAM dares to measure it in reflection and resilience. And what began in a single room now echoes in cities across the world, still shaped by the circle that started it all.
Read MoreFrom City Lights to Starry Nights: BAM Students Build Brotherhood at Camp
In Chicago, young men often grow up surrounded by invisible boundaries. Rivalries between neighborhoods and schools can keep students apart, creating tension that limits connection. Yet when given safe spaces to come together, those walls can fall away, allowing young men to discover new possibilities and create true brotherhood. Last month, 150 students in the Becoming A Man (BAM) program left behind the weight of daily pressures for something new. Through a partnership with Four Star Fellowship and Camp for All Kids, they spent a week in Wisconsin at Camp Timberlane and Camp North Star, surrounded by trees, lakes, and starry skies instead of sirens and streetlights. For many, it was their first time leaving the city and their first time experiencing camp. Activities that build more than skills The days were filled with canoeing, biking, swimming, fishing, hiking, archery, riflery, and rock-climbing. Each activity pushed students outside their comfort zones while teaching teamwork, trust, and resilience. One student admitted, “I’m scared of swimming, but this summer, I faced my fears and jumped right in.” Evenings often turned into hours-long check-ins around the campfire, where students reflected on fear, trust, and what it meant to finally feel safe enough to open up. One shared, “It made me feel welcomed and not having no worries about back home.” Another added, “This trip brought me a lot of fun and peace that I haven’t had in a long time.” Brotherhood across schools and backgrounds Camp brought together young men who, in the city, might never have spoken due to school rivalries or neighborhood divides. In nature, those walls came down. Students shared technology-free mealtimes, prayed with one another before eating, and leaned on each other during team activities. For many immigrant students, some speaking Spanish as their first language, camp offered a rare chance to feel fully included. With translation and encouragement, they built trust and began to find their voices. At one point, a misunderstanding sparked conflict among the students. In Chicago, that moment might have escalated into a fight. But at camp, BAM counselor Jonathan Hill guided the group through reflection and dialogue. Students paused to collect their thoughts, share their perspectives, and practice respect for one another. What could have been divisive instead became a moment of connection, deepening trust across the group. As Jonathan put it, “It was powerful to see them choose communication over confrontation.” One camper captured the spirit of the week even more simply: “It made me feel like I had another family. Why this matters for BAM youth BAM is more than a school-based program. It is a proven model for violence prevention and character development. It equips young men with the skills to pause before reacting, to resolve conflict with words instead of fists, and to build safe communities across lines that too often divide. At camp, students had the chance to put BAM’s lessons into practice. They discovered that joy can be found in canoe rides, late-night conversations, and moments of trust. For one student, camp became the first place he felt safe enough to take off his shirt in public, a small act that marked a major leap in self-confidence. His counselor has already noticed him walking into the new school year with greater pride and presence. The confidence and conflict-resolution skills built at camp don’t stay behind in Wisconsin. They travel home with students into their schools, neighborhoods, and families, multiplying the impact of one week far beyond the summer. Made possible through partnership and support This opportunity was possible because of those who believe in BAM’s mission, including our partners at Four Star Fellowship and Camp for All Kids, and the supporters who invest in programs that change lives. Because of supporters like you, opportunities like summer camp are possible for young men who might never otherwise leave the city. Because of that support, BAM students, experienced what it means to step out of city pressures and into possibility. They came home with new friendships, stronger confidence, and a blueprint for peace they can carry into their schools, families, and communities. As counselor Jonathan Hill put it, “It’s not about surviving. It’s about being present and being grateful for the moment.”
Read MoreBecoming Us: “Tell yourself a different story.”
"I used to think I was just surviving, just trying to make it through. But now I know that everything I went through, all the storms, were shaping me into someone stronger." — Stacay Woods This post is the first in Becoming Us, a new storytelling series from Youth Guidance that honors the voices of our alumni. Through their own words, we explore what it means to grow, to heal, and to become. Stacay Woods, a 22-year-old alumna of Youth Guidance’s Working on Womanhood (WOW) program, has spent much of her life in transition—from foster homes to family reunifications and from deep grief to self-discovery. Raised amidst uncertainty, she grappled with self-doubt, loneliness, and the heavy burden of losing her mother at a young age. In the WOW program, she found a community that helped her confront her past, embrace her emotions, and build resilience for the future. Today, Stacay reflects on her journey not as one marked by setbacks, but as a path that taught her independence, acceptance, and the courage to be her most authentic self. Here, in her own words, she shares the transformative impact of WOW, the lessons in healing and self-awareness she carries forward, and her commitment to helping others facing similar storms. Finding Home Amid Displacement “I’d been in foster care since I was eight. I moved from one home to another, four or five places, until I got back with my aunt. That wasn’t the best situation either… I was sleeping on an ottoman, something as big as your desk. But I think I was the most resilient then, sticking it out, seeing my mom on weekends, moving between different parts of the city. I never really felt smart enough, never felt like I belonged. There was bullying, but more than that, it was this fear I carried from middle school to high school.” “I didn’t feel heard or understood. I wish my family had taken my feelings seriously. I wished they weren’t so selfish, so that I wouldn’t have to figure everything out alone.” “I joined WOW my freshman year, and that’s when things started to change. I learned how to accept myself and the things I couldn’t control. I learned how to handle emotions—especially anger. For the first time, I felt like someone was listening. They taught me to just… be real, to say the uncomfortable things out loud. I remember talking to my group about this girl I was always jealous of—not for her looks, but because she had this family connection I didn’t. She seemed like her life ran smooth because of it. And for the first time, I could process those feelings.” “Grief… grief was the biggest thing I had to learn. I lost my mom when I was 16, and it was like everything blew up. At first, I didn’t even believe she was gone. I’d tell myself she was in the next room, like maybe I’d see her again. WOW helped me see that I was doing the best I could for her, even if I wasn’t perfect. That saved me from so much guilt.” Strength Forged in the Storm “Now, I feel more self-aware. Less angry. I know who I am, and I’m learning not to let my past define me. WOW taught me that independence is my word. Being stable on my own, that’s my goal now. But I also learned that you need people around you sometimes, to help ground you when things get tough. Someone once told me, ‘Tell yourself a different story.’ So I do, every day.” “Self-doubt? That’s just the beginning. If you feel it, don’t let it be your final thought. And family? If they’re not supporting your growth, maybe it’s best not to share your dreams with them. That’s a hard truth, but I learned that I have options. As long as I’m breathing, I can do anything.” “Now, I’m grateful for the storm. It made me stronger, and now I get to be here for others going through it, too.” Reflecting on everything she’s overcome, Stacay’s voice is calm, yet resolute. "I used to think I was just surviving, just trying to make it through. But now I know that everything I went through, all the storms, were shaping me into someone stronger. Today, I want to be the person I needed when I was younger—the one who listens, who believes in you, who reminds you that you’re not alone." She pauses, her face breaking into a gentle smile. "I’ve learned that healing isn’t about forgetting the pain. It’s about building something new from it—something resilient, something powerful. That’s what I carry forward, and that’s what I want to share with others.” About Becoming Us Becoming Us is a storytelling project by Youth Guidance that honors the voices of our alumni—those who have walked through our programs and emerged with hard-won lessons, growth, and resilience. Inspired by Humans of New York, each story celebrates the power of support, self-awareness, and community. This project was co-created by Stacay Woods, a former marketing and communications intern with Youth Guidance's Project Prepare Blue.
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