Youth 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.
