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Alumni

Storycatchers Theatre

The Power of Stories

Storycatchers Theatre enables youth in the juvenile justice system to process their experience of trauma by writing and sharing their stories. Through Storycatchers Theatre’s arts development process, young people develop emotionally, socially, and creatively. Paired with case management support, participants learn critical life and job skills. Finally, through performance, Storycatchers Theatre’s youth discover their voice, retake their identity, and find hope and purpose. 

Our Investment

Chicago Beyond’s $900,000 investment in Storycatchers Theatre aimed to disrupt the cycle of incarceration in Chicago’s juvenile justice system. By partnering with Storycatchers Theatre, we enhanced the impact of their post-release employment program, Changing Voices. With our support, Changing Voices expanded from a part-time to a full-time program, serving 2.7 times more young people. In 2020, as the Illinois Governor unveiled plans to transform Illinois’s juvenile justice system, Storycatchers Theatre was named for “dedicating years…to lighting the way for the change that we are making.”

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Our Philosophy

Chicago Beyond amplifies the impact of solutions driven by those closest to the issues. We aim to notice, relate, and work differently, both as a funder and as a partner to those we invest in. By consistently applying these practices, we recenter humanity in philanthropy and all that we do.

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