Once Upon Our Time Capsule

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Once Upon Our Time Capsule Using the time capsule as an engaging "hook," youth are guided to reflect on and share their own stories and perspectives through various mediums.

Living Record works with schools, libraries, community organizations, cultural institutions and workplaces to create experiences that help people connect, capture this moment and imagine what comes next. Once Upon Our Time Capsule addresses a critical gap highlighted by youth workers and teachers amid a growing mental health crisis: the need for creative, evidence-based programs to help youth feel more connected to their peers. Our core activities, centered around storytelling and exploring peers' stories, utilize proven strategies to enhance youth's sense of connectedness, social belonging, and self-worth—crucial factors for their overall well-being and mental health.

10/02/2026

Last night, Look Back to Go Forward came to life at Harold Washington Library.

Guests explored the exhibition, listened to stories of the past from Chicago youth, and added their own reflections on the past, present, and future.

A huge thank you to Chicago Public Library for being such an important and wonderful partner and to the After School Matters teens who helped shape the exhibition and shared their voices with us last night.

We loved seeing the space full of people reading, listening, writing, reflecting, and connecting.

Want to see the exhibition in person? Find the full tour schedule at livingrecord.org or in our earlier post.

We’re so grateful to Block Club Chicago for this thoughtful story on Look Back to Go Forward and for centering the voice...
09/30/2026

We’re so grateful to Block Club Chicago for this thoughtful story on Look Back to Go Forward and for centering the voices of the young people who helped shape the exhibition.

After School Matters teens Nahlej Vonneedo and Itzel Figueroa helped reopen the time capsules this year and think with us about how these stories could be shared with the public. Their reflections in the piece capture something at the heart of the exhibition: looking back can help us see how differently people experienced the same moment, while also recognizing where our experiences connect.

Huge thanks as well to Wayfinding, who partnered with us to curate the exhibition and helped us think through how thousands of young people’s stories could become a meaningful public experience.

And now we get to invite Chicago into the conversation.

Read the full Block Club Chicago story at the link in bio, and join us Thursday, October 1 from 5–7 p.m. at Harold Washington Library Center for the official kickoff of Look Back to Go Forward.

Sometimes looking back changes how we understand where we are now.Our Co-Founder and Executive Director Stacey Warady Gi...
09/29/2026

Sometimes looking back changes how we understand where we are now.

Our Co-Founder and Executive Director Stacey Warady Gillett joined Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown on WBEZ’s In the Loop to talk about Look Back to Go Forward and what we can learn from the stories young people shared in 2021.

The exhibition starts with those stories, then invites all of us to add our own:

Where are we now? What do we hope comes next?

Come experience it this Thursday, October 1, from 5–7 p.m. at Harold Washington Library Center.

See the exhibition. Add your perspective. Be part of the record.

Free and open to all ages.

🎧 Listen to the WBEZ piece at the link in bio
🎟️ Register for Thursday at the link in bio

09/24/2026

A look behind the scenes as Look Back to Go Forward comes to life.

From early ideas to fabrication and installation, every part of this exhibition was designed to bring stories from Chicago’s past into conversation with the city today.

We can’t wait for you to experience it, add your perspective, and become part of the record.

09/10/2026

It started with opening a time capsule.

Teens from After School Matters dug into what they found, shared their reactions and ideas, and helped shape Look Back to Go Forward along the way.

Now, the exhibition is taking shape.

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at what we’re building.

Look Back to Go Forward is coming soon. Join us for the launch on October 1. Link to RSVP in bio.

We’re launching Look Back to Look Forward, and you’re invited.Created as part of the reopening of Time Capsules made by ...
09/01/2026

We’re launching Look Back to Look Forward, and you’re invited.

Created as part of the reopening of Time Capsules made by young people across Chicago in 2021, this new traveling exhibition explores what we can learn by looking at where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we hope to go next.

Join us for the launch before the exhibition begins its journey to sites across Chicago this fall. Be among the first to experience the installation, contribute your own story, and hear from some of the civic, cultural, and community leaders who helped bring the exhibition to life.

5–7 p.m. | Short speaking program at 5:45 p.m.
Free, family-friendly, and open to all ages.

Link to register in bio.

We’re kicking off a new year of the Living Record National Educator Network—and this year, we’re thrilled to be working ...
08/28/2026

We’re kicking off a new year of the Living Record National Educator Network—and this year, we’re thrilled to be working with educators from Wildflower schools across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Together, these educators will bring Living Record into their classrooms, creating space for students to reflect on their experiences, express what matters to them, connect with one another, and imagine the future.

We’re excited to learn alongside this incredible group of educators and students.

We’re wrapping up another meaningful summer with Easterseals Chicago and celebrating three years of partnership together...
08/25/2026

We’re wrapping up another meaningful summer with Easterseals Chicago and celebrating three years of partnership together.

This summer, students created foam doll self-portraits that reflect how they see themselves, what matters to them, and the identities they carry. We love these pieces for their color, creativity, and individuality, and even more for what they reveal about the young people who made them.

As Mary M. of Tinley Park Academy shared, “My students really loved the self portrait art project. It was heartwarming to see their unique perspectives on how they view themselves and to see their self identities come alive through art.”

We’re grateful to Easterseals Chicago for three years of partnership and for the opportunity to keep creating spaces where young people can reflect, express themselves, and be seen.

As our co-founder and executive director Stacey Gillett says, time capsules can be very powerful framework and tool for ...
08/17/2026

As our co-founder and executive director Stacey Gillett says, time capsules can be very powerful framework and tool for processing and sharing who you are, what you value, what you think is important.

We are so proud of our partnership with Chicago CRED and grateful to the Chicago Tribune for telling our story and the stories of those who have been impacted by our work.

In the past five years, our programming has grown and adapted to reach communities of all ages and needs, and teaming up with CRED to help break the cycles of violence in our communities has been some of our most meaningful work to date.

Read the full story, which was on the front page of Saturday’s print edition, at the link in bio.

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Chicago, IL

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+17736736259

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