Young Chicago Authors – The JTDC Poetry Residency
Reflect!
Articulate!
Lay the groundwork for positive change!
Young Chicago Authors (YCA), founded in 1991, helps young people from all backgrounds to understand the importance of their own stories and those of others, so that they can work to make their communities more just and equitable.
YCA brings nearly all elements of its programming (a Hip Hop-based pedagogy that includes workshops, open mics, and performance) into the JTDC (Juvenile Temporary Detention Center), where it has worked the past decade.
With the Envisioning Justice initiative funding, YCA established a residency at the JTDC in 2018-2019, to include weekly workshops designed to help young people tell their stories through poetry and rap.