The Culinary Lab

Last spring, elementary sites piloted a new enrichment called Chemistry in the Kitchen, where youth explored the science behind cooking. The lessons, which staff developed to align with science standards at District 65, encouraged curiosity and experimentation. A popular lesson centered on citric acid—youth tasted pure citric acid and compared it to their favorite sour candies.

High school and middle school sites also learned about the culinary arts thanks to Chef Brady, one of Y.O.U.’s Afterschool Instructors. Youth had the opportunity to work on their knife skills, learn about baking, and practice cookie decorating, among other things. They also learned about the food system and farm-to-table cooking, using produce from Y.O.U.’s garden to make dishes like pumpkin lasagna.

Future Game Changers

Thanks to a partnership with TrueNU, Northwestern student-athletes volunteered with the OST Program. Student-athletes from sports such as football, soccer, women’s lacrosse, basketball, and women’s volleyball have all spent time with our youth. In the spring, they worked with elementary youth in preparation for the 2nd Annual Dawes-Oakton Kickball game, which Dawes won for the second year in a row.

In addition to bringing Northwestern student-athletes to the OST Program, Y.O.U. has been able to take youth on field trips to sporting events thanks to support from the Bill Nelson Memorial Foundation. Over the past three years, youth have cheered on the Cubs at Wrigley Field and attended Northwestern football and basketball games.

Clinical and Outreach Expansion

Y.O.U.’s mental health counseling and outreach services are a critical support to many families in Evanston, and the demand for these services has risen over the past few years. Most of these youth also participate in our OST Program; this year, we expanded our footprint so we could serve more youth across Evanston. We began providing mental health counseling at the McGaw YMCA during the summer, and we started working with youth at Willard and Lincolnwood Elementary Schools at the beginning of this school year. We’re also expanding our Outreach services, providing hygiene kits to partner organizations like the Moran Center and Curt’s Cafe.

Impact Crew

Y.O.U.’s Impact Crew is a group of high
schoolers who are dedicated to making a difference in our community. Over the past year, they have prepared and donated food for a nearby community fridge, created garden beds at a local nonprofit farm, and volunteered at other OST Program sites. The Impact Crew helped out once a week, serving as mentors and leaders to elementary youth. Amanda, an elementary Afterschool Program Manager, said she appreciated the opportunity to see youth build relationships across age levels and learn from each other.

Mixed Media Artwork

Last spring, high school students imagined new worlds through the creation of mixed media artwork. They first photographed each other and objects of interest around them, then used those photos as a starting point for their pieces. Their re-imagined photos combined cutouts from magazines, supplies like crayons and markers, and in some cases 3-D objects for their work. Their finished pieces, which created the extraordinary out of the everyday, then went on display at the entrance to the Y.O.U. building.

Sound Healing

Michelle Weinman has partnered with Y.O.U. for years to offer musical enrichments for youth. Last winter, youth participated in a sound healing enrichment. Sound healing is an ancient practice where someone plays an instrument like singing bowls to create lo-fi vibrational sounds. In this popular enrichment, youth took turns playing instruments for each other to create a calming space for youth to relax and de-stress.

CCBYS Expansion

Last fall, we received a grant to expand our Comprehensive Community-Based Youth Services and begin working with youth involved or at-risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system. Our Community Case Manager supported youth as they completed community service and fulfilled other probation requirements. While working with one youth, they learned that he also wanted to graduate from high school. They supported him in re-enrolling in school, and he’s now on the way to achieving his goal!

Book It!

Looking for a way to encourage youth to get excited about reading, Y.O.U. sites participated in the Pizza Hut Book It! Program last year. Each youth set an individual reading goal for the year. Evanston Public Library’s mobile library visited sites so youth could check out their favorite books like the Dog Man series and Guinness World Records, and each site provided daily independent reading time. When youth reached their goal, they earned a certificate for a personal pan pizza. Seeing the first group of youth succeed built enthusiasm for the entire group to achieve their goals.

Learn More

Explore Y.O.U.'s full 2024 Annual report to learn more about our work, including our financials and a list of our generous partners and donors.

View the Annual Report