Friday, October 20
11:40 AM - 1:00 PM
We are very excited to bring a number of groups working throughout Chicago to the stage to highlight the work they are doing to serve communities. These groups are making impacts for neighbors throughout the community. They'll share details about the work and projects - and attendees will have the chance to head out to visit them directly with the help of MAPPED.
Design Trust Chicago
Emma Jasinski & Clio Lyons
Design Trust Chicago is a multidisciplinary civic impact design organization that partners with local leaders and communities to collectively envision an equitable built environment through the design of healthy, vibrant, safe, and thriving buildings, public spaces, streetscapes, spaces and places for all Chicagoans.
Both embedded in Chicago social justice traditions and dedicated to advance design justice practices, Design Trust collaborates with residents, nonprofits, and local government to explore design possibilities that center community experiences and develop projects while redirecting resources equitably across Chicago.
Principle Barbers
Principle Barbershop is a place for straight razorshaves, haircuts, a place for shop talks and creative events, lovers of art and music, performances with live bands, DJs, and a platform and meeting place for the community. It's a shop that is built on principles of professionalism, proper quality service, client relationships, freedom, and creativity.
Free Spirit Media
Free Spirit Media (FSM) partners with young storytellers to transform media and society. We do this through our holistic programming which focuses on community-building, skill-sharing, and career and education pathways that support young people to envision and build their futures within the media industry and beyond. All FSM programs are paid opportunities.
FSM's goal is to support young BIPOC media makers and journalists as they form robust and sustainable support systems, gain the skills needed to pursue employment in their creative fields, and understand the powerful and important gifts they bring to their chosen career fields. FSM media arts education and workforce investment programs are designed to break down barriers to access, success, and leadership for emerging media makers and journalists from Chicago's West and South Sides.
Space to Grow & their Healthy Schools Campaign
Space to Grow transforms Chicago schoolyards into beautiful and functional spaces to play, learn, garden and be outside. The schoolyards also use special design elements to help reduce neighborhood flooding.
Schoolyard transformations prioritize physical activity, outdoor learning and community engagement. The green schoolyards incorporate landscape features that capture a significant amount of rainfall, helping keep the city’s water resources clean and resulting in less neighborhood flooding.
It’s a win for students, neighborhoods and our city’s environment.
Meg Kelly, Director, Space to Grow
Presenter
Meg has over 20 years of experience managing complex partnerships and programs aimed at sustainable and equitable development. With a background in urban planning, land use planning, and sensitive resource protection, Meg has managed projects around the country focused on innovative stormwater management, sustainability initiatives, community engagement, and natural resource conservation. Since starting at Healthy Schools Campaign in 2014, Meg has led Space to Grow – Chicago’s green schoolyards program that is transforming schoolyards in historically disinvested communities across Chicago – from a pilot project into an award-winning, internationally recognized model for equitable community investment. Space to Grow is a unique collaboration of public agency and nonprofit partners working to build community and climate resilience with a holistic suite of programming and capital improvements. Meg manages the partnership and program delivery, ensuring communities with the most need are prioritized and are meaningfully engaged and consulted throughout the process. Meg holds a bachelor's degree in Urban & Environmental Affairs from Marquette University and a Master of Urban Planning degree from University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.
Kenneth Varner, Community Engagement Manager, Healthy Schools Campaign