OUR MISSION:
EMPOWER YOUTH TO OWN THEIR
CREATIVE FUTURE
OUR VISION
True Chicago exists to create an eco-system where young artists can take ownership over their creative future through mentorship and access to career knowledge that will not only support them as individuals, but will also have lasting investment into the health of their community.
LACK OF ACCESS
AND OPPORTUNITY
Lack of access and opportunity sit high on the list of problems affecting Chicago’s black and brown youth in general, but especially in creativity and the arts. Black and brown youth are averaging 25-30 percent fewer arts credits than their white peers, all while budgets and school partnerships are in a downward trend. These disparities have a lasting impact that stretches beyond high school and college.
WE TURN PROBLEMS INTO OPPPORTUNITIES
The 3 P’s (Power, Purpose, & Pathways) are the foundation of True Chicago programming. This approach allows to tackle the problems Black and Brown youth are facing.
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POWER: Annual Conference & Socials
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Annual Conference
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True Socials
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Creators' Dinners
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Community Development
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PURPOSE: Mentorship Program
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Quarterly Portfolio/career Mentorship
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One-on-one Mentorship Sessions
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True Council
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PATHWAYS: Mentorship Cohort
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Annual Conference
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Annual Mentorship Cohort
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True Council
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OUR REACH
Our
HISTORY
True Chicago was founded by David Johnson in 2017 as a means of challenging creatives to give of their knowledge and time to empower Chicago’s youth through creativity and the arts. True began as a community of artists working to create space for gathering young creatives and career mentorship. Through consistent investment in the future of young artists, True Chicago has built a space for growth grounded in community, that is producing award winning creative talent.
MEET THE TEAM
