Music to our ears: CYC nurtures beats and harmonies

It’s been a bright era for music at CYC the past few months as our partnership with the Merit School of Music has expanded and our Maker Studio at CYC-Elliott Donnelley Youth Center has nurtured blossoming interests in music production.

As the Chicago Sun-Times and ABC 7 Chicago recently reported, the violin classes provided through the Merit School of Music at CYC-Rebecca K. Crown Youth Center have served students who would likely not have another opportunity to play violin.

Instructor Elisabeth Johnson watches as India Mabon, 9, goes thru a violin exercise Tuesday at the Crown Center in South Shore. The students are working on different rhythms. | Leslie Adkins/For the Sun-Times

Breanna, an 8-year-old at CYC-Crown, began learning to play the violin after her parents found out about the partnership between CYC and Merit. Breanna told the Sun-Times that the violin has encouraged her to be organized and set higher academic goals.

“The sense of accomplishment from playing gives her so much confidence and really increases who she is as a person,” her father, Randall, told the Sun-Times.

In many of the communities CYC serves, music instruction is not a readily available resource. Preliminary results from an ongoing study conducted by Northwestern University Auditory Neuroscience Laboratories shows that “music instruction not only improves children’s communication skills, attention, and memory, but that it may even close the academic gap between rich and poor students,” according to a 2013 article by The Atlantic.

Last October, our partnership with Merit School of Music expanded to CYC-Sidney Epstein Youth Center to include choir lessons. The participating youth, which also includes children from CYC-Fellowship House, have been attending weekly rehearsals. In December, they performed songs that focus on strength and self-esteem.

At CYC-Elliott Donnelley Youth Center, the new Maker Studio has become a hub for teens looking for a creative outlet.

Since the studio, funded by the NBCUniversal Foundation, opened, teen participation at the Center has quadrupled.

This fall, the Maker Studio became home to two projects: another session of the photography program, and “Teen YOU in the Stu,” a time for CYC teens to create unique compositions with the music equipment. While working in the space, CYC teens create beats using programs like Garage Band and then develop raps and spoken word lyrics to accompany the beat. The enthusiasm for this has been contagious and has truly allowed for students’ natural creativity to flourish.

For Kandia, one of the teens who has begun frequenting the Maker Studio, it a special space because “it was given to us by people who are interested about our future and want us to succeed.”

Kandia, who is now interested in pursuing a career in media, said she does not have access to the Maker Studio equipment outside of CYC and that just being exposed to the equipment has given her a feel for how to use the studio properly.

The nature of the programming and activities in the Maker Studio pushes youth to develop the ‘Four C’s’: communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. These social-emotional skills are necessary for success in the modern workplace.

Lock-in to lock out violence: CYC teens keep negativity out of social media

In November, CYC-Sidney Epstein Youth Center hosted its third annual Teen Lock-In as a part of the $2,500 Acting Up Award from the Chicago Community Trust.

The event, which ran from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., focused on how to properly use social media and prevent violence on various social media platforms.

Teens at CYC-Sidney Epstein Youth Center engage in a discussion about keeping violence out of social media during a lock-in event.

The 40 teens who joined the event participated in workshops that provided insight on relatable topics. For example, youth were able to analyze raps they created to identify the points of distress in the music. They also received CHILL training, an innovative program that teaches youth to recognize the biological effects of anger and confrontation and develop techniques to de-escalate conflicts.

Following the workshops, the teens were able to play games and enjoy snacks throughout the night.

Teen youth worker Melody Mills said the event theme was important because many youth are not taught how to properly use platforms like Facebook.

“We’ve had some of our young people in fights that started on Facebook,” Melody said. “‘He said, she said’ kind of things. We have to be the people who provide them with information about how to positively use social media.”

Center Director Roberta Douglas said the teens loved the event. The topics covered throughout the night introduced teens to new ideas about online interactions they have on a daily basis.

“They learned how to ignore when people want to fight and how to use Facebook in a more positive way,” Roberta said. “Teens who live in urban settings might be held more accountable for using Facebook in a responsible way. The legal challenges they might face [as a result of violence stemming from social media] might not be equal [to more affluent communities] because of their communities.”

Diante, a teen at the Center, said he appreciated it.

"The lock-in was fun,” Diante said. “I was able to meet new people. We worked as a team and showed sportsmanship when we played ball. It was all love. I can't wait until the next one."

As a follow-up to the lock-in and part of the Acting Up Award, CYC-Epstein is planning to host a town hall meeting in March for the North Lawndale community about violence in social media. Check back for updates about the event.

Talk about girl power: Celebrating the GEMS and TinkerBelles

Two members of the CYC GEMS club work on a project during a recent field trip to the Jane Addams Resource Corporation.

Since early last year, CYC has been cultivating GEMS. No, we don’t mean rare stones… but our GEMS are certainly precious.

GEMS stands for “Girls Excelling in Math and Science.” Since the GEMS club began early last year, more than 25 girls and young women (ages 10-13) have delved into science, engineering, math, and technology subjects while exploring STEM career fields.

According to a recent study conducted by the National Science Foundation, only 11.2% of bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering, 8.2% of master’s degrees in science and engineering, and 4.1% of doctorate degrees in science and engineering were awarded to women of color. Additionally, women of color comprise fewer than 1 in 10 employed scientists and engineers.

CYC STEM program manager Steven Willis works with a GEMS club member on a rocket project.

Women and young girls across the nation have traditionally faced barriers when trying to enter lucrative STEM fields, but the young women and girls CYC serves face an even deeper gap caused by the impact of poverty. The girls in these communities, the majority of whom are African American or Hispanic, often lack access to educational opportunities that would encourage them to explore STEM subjects.

These STEM programming initiatives are possible thanks to the generous support of organizations like the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Zakat Foundation of America, and donors like you.

In addition to our GEMS club, another all-girls STEM club, the “TinkerBelles,” formed at CYC-Sidney Epstein Youth Center. Through their participation, the young girls in these programs are encouraged to explore STEM careers, experiment, and go on educational field trips to broaden their perspectives.

Recently, the GEMS went to an industrial kitchen in Chicago’s Southside. Khali Smith, the Chief Operating Officer of Lou’s Gourmet Sweets, met the young women to teach them about the math and science that goes into baking. The youth learned how different measurements and certain types of ingredients work together to yield a variety of outcomes.

“When we cook at the Center we don’t always get to do everything… but [at the industrial kitchen] we got to do everything and be in a real kitchen and feel like a real chef cooking,” said Analiz, a GEMS club member at CYC-Fellowship House.  

CYC GEMS club member Analiz, right, cracks an egg open during a recent field trip to an industrial kitchen in Chicago. The girls learned about the science that goes into baking.

Clarence Hogan, the Maker Lab Specialist at CYC-Epstein, said providing these opportunities to youth, especially young women, gives them a broader perspective of what their future career could be.

“In the communities we serve, young black and brown kids don’t always get to experiment and resources like this are rare,” Clarence said. “But this maker space allows us to do that. We want our young black and brown kids to see themselves as innovators. They deserve to experiment and push the limits of what they think is possible. That’s why saturation is important; I want our young girls to feel comfortable to tinker.”

CYC's 2017 Lights on Afterschool events a success

CYC hosted several Lights on Afterschool events on Thursday, Oct. 26. The activities were among more than an expected 8,000 such events across America as part of Lights on Afterschool, the annual nationwide celebration of afterschool programs organized by the Afterschool Alliance.

CYC is passionate about creating opportunities for youth to create, learn, and grow outside of the classroom. In celebration of Lights on Afterschool, CYC-Elliott Donnelley Youth Center, CYC-Sidney Epstein Youth Center, CYC-Fellowship House, and CYC-Rebecca K. Crown Youth Center each hosted their own unique event. Activities ranged from camping-themed fun to STEM stations.

We are happy to call our 2017 Lights on Afterschool events a success!