Youth & Opportunity United

08/21/2026

Looking for something fun to do with the family this weekend? ☀️

The 4th Annual Evanston Family Fun Fest is happening this Saturday, August 22, from 12–4 PM at the Robert Crown Community Center!

Hosted by Be Strong Families NFP, this free community event brings families together for an afternoon of activities, creativity, connection, and fun as the new school year gets underway.

Y.O.U. will be there as one of the community partners, so be sure to stop by our table and say hello! 🧡💙

📅 Saturday, August 22
⏰ 12–4 PM
📍 Robert Crown Community Center, 1801 Main Street, Evanston
🎟️ Admission is FREE!

We hope to see some familiar faces there!

08/20/2026

After two years of service with Y.O.U., AmeriCorps member Jaavion Bradley is preparing to begin his next chapter.

Before wrapping up his time with us, Jaavion wanted to share a message with the youth, families, community members, and colleagues who have been part of his journey:

In Jaavion's words:

"As I reflect on my time here at Y.O.U., I am extremely grateful to have worked with a great organization and amazing people. I came across a lot of wisdom that was shared with me, developed new skills, and even sharpened skills that I already had.

Evanston is a great place of community, opportunities, resources, and relationships. I've established beautiful relationships with the youth here in Evanston and with the community that I will always remember and continue to invest in.

I gave it everything I had over the past two years. My intention was to make a memorable impact on the youth so they can carry the knowledge with them and apply it to their journey of becoming the best versions of themselves. They are the future, so as an educator, I make it a priority to speak life into them so they can experience a better future.

My time here was incredibly profound. I want to thank CEO Craig Lynch for his guidance, wisdom, dedication to youth development, and professionalism. I want to thank Mrs. Stevenson for giving me the opportunity to be part of this organization, and a huge thank you to the rest of the Y.O.U. staff I've connected with.

A big thank you to all the youth I had the privilege of being around. You all challenged me to become a better version of myself every day!

Lastly, thank you to the community."

Thank you, Jaavion, for the energy, care, and commitment you've brought to Y.O.U. and the young people you've worked alongside over the past two years. We wish you all the best in what's ahead! 🧡💙

08/18/2026

Back-to-school season is here!

Our team had a great time connecting with youth and families at the Nichols Back-to-School Bash as the community gets ready for another school year.

We're excited to return to Nichols this fall as one of Y.O.U.'s 2026/2027 After-School Program sites, and we can't wait to welcome youth back when programming begins September 14!

Registration is now open, and Nichols families interested in joining us can begin by completing our pre-registration form. The pre-registration form reserves your child's spot but does not complete registration. Families will receive additional information from Y.O.U. with the next steps needed to complete the process.

In addition to Nichols, Y.O.U.'s After-School Program will serve youth at Chute, Dawes, Foster, and King Arts this school year.

🔗 : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeP5R_wYJBKSeGp37HBA7w7RrSrxZy3q-N2WxIvkQ1XdQVe-g/viewform

We can't wait to see everyone this fall! 🧡💙

08/14/2026

📣 Registration for Y.O.U.’s 2026/2027 After-School Program is now open!

Y.O.U.’s After-School Program returns this September with academic support, creative workshops, STEM learning, recreation and wellness, field trips, and more throughout the school year.

Families interested in joining us should begin by completing the pre-registration form. Completing the form reserves your child’s spot and allows our team to review your information before reaching out with the next steps to complete registration.

📅 Program Dates: September 14, 2026 through May 14, 2027
📍 Programs are available at Dawes, Foster, King Arts, Nichols, and Chute.

Space is limited, so families are encouraged to complete the pre-registration form as soon as possible.

🔗 Complete the pre-registration form: [LINK IN COMMENTS]

Questions? Contact [email protected]. Please allow 1 to 3 business days for our team to respond.

08/12/2026

We were excited to join students, families, educators, community leaders, and partners for the Foster School Ribbon Cutting Ceremony! 🎉

It was wonderful to celebrate the opening of the new Foster Elementary School and this exciting new chapter for the community. We're especially looking forward to what's ahead as Y.O.U. will serve Foster Elementary as one of our afterschool program sites this school year!

Afterschool registration will open in the coming days, so stay tuned for more information on how to register.

Thank you to Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and everyone who helped make this new school a reality. We can't wait for what's ahead at Foster! 💙

08/06/2026

This summer, 120 new books helped spark curiosity, conversations, and a love of reading.

Thanks to the generosity of 16 Lyrics, youth in our Summer Program received 120 new books and spent up to 18 hours reading throughout our six-week program. Together, they explored stories that inspired imagination, encouraged meaningful discussions, and strengthened literacy skills.

As we reflect on another incredible summer, we're grateful to the partners who help create meaningful learning experiences and invest in the success of our young people.

This Sunday is National Book Lovers Day, but for our young readers, every day this summer was a celebration of books. 📚❤️

08/03/2026

Our Summer Showcase gave our community a chance to celebrate everything Y.O.U. youth accomplished this summer. Today, we'd like to recognize the sponsors who helped make this season possible.

Thank you to the organizations featured on our 2026 Summer Program shirts for investing in opportunities for more than 200 young people. Your support helped provide enriching experiences, meaningful connections, and a summer filled with learning, creativity, and discovery.

We are grateful for your partnership and your commitment to expanding opportunity and empowering youth. 💙🧡

07/29/2026

It was a privilege to be part of the Fifth Annual Block Party hosted by Connections for the Homeless!

Thank you for bringing together families, organizations, and community partners for an afternoon of fun, connection, and resources. We enjoyed spending the day meeting community members, sharing information about Y.O.U., and celebrating alongside so many incredible organizations.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our table—we loved connecting with you!

Pictured: Y.O.U. Executive Director of Advancement Joi-Anissa Russell (left) and Y.O.U. AmeriCorps member Caitlyn Flowers (right) representing Y.O.U. at Family Fest.

07/27/2026

More than 200 caregivers, community members, external partners, volunteers, board members, and generous donors cheered on Y.O.U. youth during the July 24 Summer Showcase. Joy, belonging, and creativity were in the air! Thank you for showing up for our youth and bringing your enthusiasm!

07/21/2026

🎉 It's almost here!

This Friday, join us for Y.O.U.'s Summer Showcase from 3:00–5:00 p.m. at Washington School.

Come celebrate six weeks of creativity, learning, and growth as our students share their projects, performances, and accomplishments. We'd love to see our families, supporters, partners, and community there!

See you Friday! ☀️

You're invited to see what summer at Y.O.U. has been all about! ☀️

Join us on Friday, July 24, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at Washington School for our Summer Showcase.

Throughout the summer, our campers have explored new interests, built new skills, expressed their creativity, and taken part in hands-on learning experiences. Now they're excited to share what they've been working on through performances, projects, and interactive displays.

Families, supporters, partners, and members of our community are invited to stop by and celebrate everything our campers have accomplished this summer.

We hope to see you there!