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.”
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 Guidance
Youth 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