I recently read an article in one of our local newspapers about the impact of trauma on young people. The reporter spent time with a few youth who’d each been impacted by gun violence. Their painful experience demonstrated how traumatic events ripple through a person’s life. These young people’s relationships, engagement at school, and overall sense of stability are all affected. Of course, this impact is even more pronounced when a young person has to face the possibility of violence on a regular basis.
Trauma is never the entire story. The young women and men we get to work with through our KEY Program are each full of hopes and dreams for their futures. It’s an incredible honor to be a part of their lives.
This year, our KEY Program has doubled in size to almost 50 students. The need is even greater, but that is what we have the capacity for at this time. Thanks to your generosity, every week at Dyett High School, students are gathering to build peace: in their lives, their school, and beyond. Under the leadership of our Executive Director, Markeyta Boone, and our two new facilitators who you’ll meet below, these young men and women are finding ways to orient themselves toward hope despite the trauma they face.
Sometimes our circumstances, even when difficult, can create opportunities. Back in 2020 when the world shut down with the onset of the Covid19 pandemic, our KEY Program was meeting with two groups of predominantly freshman students at Walter H. Dyett High School. Because of the limitations that came with the pandemic, we maintained the KEY Program in a virtual format and kept in touch with as many students as we could for the remainder of the school. In the 2020-2021 school year, we kicked off a year of virtual KEY Programming with those same students, who were now sophomores. These same students expressed the desire to continue to grow in circle and restorative justice spaces; their reflections and suggestions shaped our KEY Summer Leadership Program, which has been an opportunity for a cohort of students to engage more deeply in their understanding of the interconnected relationships between individual and community as humans and change agents.
This year, our KEY School Year Program established the internship program where students who have participated in KEY and completed restorative justice training can apply to join the KEY Staff to plan and facilitate circles during sessions with their peer community. Two of our interns, who are now juniors, have been with us since their freshman year; we have learned from, grown alongside, and laughed so much with these two extraordinary leaders. Hear what they have to say about being an intern, what keeps them committed, and what they want you to know about KEY.
Jacinta M.
“Being an intern in KEY has taught me to be more easy on myself. Everything does not have to be perfect. Try your best and the rest will follow. I have stayed in KEY because it is my getaway from life. When I’m in session, the only thing that matters is the session. I want people to know that with KEY, what you put in you get out. If you put yourself out there, and if others put themselves out there, you learn more about yourself and others. I want people to know that you can be your true authentic self with no judgment. KEY is a non-judgement zone.” (Pictured on right, facilitating her peers in arriving at consensus.)
Mia C.
“Working as a KEY intern, I have learned to be a better leader & help plan KEY meetings. I’ve also learned how to grow as an individual. I have stayed involved in KEY because you all have helped me grow as a better person & given me amazing opportunities/resources throughout the 2 years I’ve been with you. They’ve also helped me get prepared for college & my adulthood. The key program has been a blessing in my life & other teens that have joined this program because they are dedicated to helping us succeed in life now & when we leave their program. I want people to know that the KEY program is amazing for teens on the south side of Chicago because you get a remarkable amount of resources & opportunities that will help you in life. This program will help you become a leader & will allow you to meet different people. also will help prepare you for your future.” (Pictured on left, keeping circle by facilitating a check-in.)
In March Markeyta and David Swanson participated in a week-long circle keepers training with the Community Justice for Youth Institute through a grant from our partners at the University of Chicago. This was part of our ongoing training in restorative practices as we work with our partners at The Urban Resilience Network to plan how to best support our young people in the Bronzeville community.
As our partnership grows with Jackie Robinson Elementary School they have asked, us to provide classroom volunteers to support their teachers. Through the structure of NCO and Markeyta’s leadership, we now have eight volunteers each week at Jackie Robinson!
Speaking of Jackie Robinson, later this month we will be planting their community gardens and then taking care of them through the summer. A member of New Community who is a farmer has been growing all of the seedlings for the garden in order to donate them to the school! Through a partner at the Illinois Institute of Technology, we are also looking into how the gardens could be integrated into the school’s curriculum. Finally, our community back-to-school-fair team is hard at work planning the fair for Saturday, August 25. Let us know if you’d like to volunteer with us that day.
