The Praxis Institute

→ 4 days... one powerful

We learned, dialogued, and discussed. We laughed. We cried. We danced like family.
We challenged systems & ourselves. And most of all we established a community of changemakers committed to collective healing and liberation.

From ((Day 1)) exploring identity + purpose → ((Day 2)) Critical Dialogue & Consciousness → ((Day 3)) + transformative leadership → ((Day 4)) turning the work into REAL change… the inaugural ICYD cohort w/ courage, brilliance, & heart.

→
A new of interconnected youth workers leading with purpose, power, and possibility

Let’s keep building. Let’s keep healing. Let’s

to our dedicated ICYD cohort and cant wait to our work together.
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📣 25 people, 12 organizations, 1 community 📣
**Swipe to learn more**

Announcing our inaugural community of praxis cohort for the Institute For Critical Youth Development! We are excited to kick things off tomorrow with this fantastic group of people:

Sydney Armstead, Engagement Program Manager
Friends of the Forest Preserves

Diego Avila, Program Associate
Companies That Care

Joy Bailey, Youth & Engagement Corps Manager
Friends of the Forest Preserves

Hector Barragan, Youth Development Program Manager
Carole Robertson Center

Jacinda Bullie, Co-Director
Kuumba Lynx

Jahleigh Bullie, Teaching Artist
Kuumba Lynx

Viridiana Carvajal, Director of Quality Capacity Building
Michigan Afterschool Partnership

Elbert Conway, Youth Life Coach
Chicago CRED

Miguel Conway, Youth Program Assistant
Chicago CRED

Mackenzie Dailey, Retention Specialist
Our Community’s Children

Tevonne Ellis, Chief Program Officer
Claretian Associates

Robert Hill, Life Coach
Chicago CRED

Malik Jarrel-Miller, Program Associate
Detroit Youth Development Resource Center

Desiree Jones, Dance Instructor
Kuumba Lynx

Shirley Konwent, Associate Director of Human Resources
Friends of the Forest Preserves

Jaydeshia Lee, Youth & Family Therapist
Chicago CRED

Jermaine Patton, Senior Manager of Youth Services
Chicago CRED

Kiyara Polk, Youth & Family Clinician
Chicago CRED

Brandon Richardson, Youth Life Coach
Chicago CRED

Tadaro Riley, Program Associate
Companies That Care

Pinqy Ring, Cypher Equity Organizer (CEO)
The Hip Hop Cypher Movement

Sejahari Saulter-Villegas, Communications Coordinator
Kuumba Lynx

David Todd, Youth Development Program Manager
Claretian Associates

I o t i Walker, Senior Manager of Teen Programs
Adler Planetarium

Anjel Williams, Director of Youth Development
Chicago Youth Centers

🔔 INSTITUTE FOR CRITICAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (ICYD) INFO SESSION NEXT WEEK, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 11:00AM-12:00PM 🔔

Praxis Institute team members Fausto López, Jessica Juarez, and Steven Rosado will be leading the info session over Zoom for anyone who is interested in attending the upcoming Institute For Critical Youth Development (ICYD) professional learning experience, happening in downtown Chicago October 21-24, 2025.

Come learn more and ask questions about the 4-day in person ICYD in October and the 6 months of coaching and online support that follows the immersive in-person 4-day experience.

Register now for the Info Session on September 12: https://tinyurl.com/IcydInfoSess
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Registration for the inaugural ICYD closes on Friday, September 19. You can register here: https://tinyurl.com/praxisicyd #ʟɪɴᴋɪɴʙɪᴏ

The Praxis Institute Anti-racist | Healing-centered | Participatory | Liberation

“Critical consciousness equips people, not just to understand power, but to transform it.”



☆ Learn to integrate Positive & Critical Youth Development into your practice
☆ Build programs that spark growth, leadership, and community impact
☆ Connect with peers who share your passion

More Info & Registration: https://tinyurl.com/praxisicyd

October 21–24, 2025
4‐day immersive experience + 6 months of online coaching &
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"if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else."

We just wrapped our : Conflict as Catalyst / Conflicto como Catalizador
Facilitated by Mimi and Jessica

This one stood out. After many rounds of facilitation, we’ve found our rhythm and continue evolving how we practice and teach .

From interpersonal tensions to student and staff conflicts, university teams to community collectives, our workshops are designed to meet people where they are and guide them toward something deeper.

We integrate conflict style tools like the TKI, culturally grounded NVC, the “shut the front door” method, problem-is-the-problem frameworks, and restorative and transformative practices.

We lean in, pause, reflect, and always circle back with intention.

If you're curious about learning alongside us, reach out. Let’s continue this work together. Link in bio!

Our team at Praxis Institute had a fantastic time kicking off the week in Houston by leading a 2-day convening of national partners for The Fellowship Initiative.

We strengthened our national community by acknowledging our successes, reflecting on our challenges, strategizing towards solutions, and celebrating one another. We have loved being able to work with all of these organizations for 3+ years and are excited to continue growing, learning, designing, implementing, and assessing together!

Youth Guidance Chicago Big Thought DiscoverU Brothers At Kingmakers of Oakland SJLI - Social Justice Learning Institute

The Four Wings of Peace

Inspired by Leah Penniman’s Four-Winged Movement Collaboration model, this interactive butterfly installation invited students, staff, and guests to create heart-shaped feathers-each one representing transformation, connection, reflection, and healing.

What you see here: ideas made into reality, planning turned into projection, cutting, pasting, rearranging, writing, sketching, helping each other, pausing to reflect, laughing mid-process. Markers everywhere. Paint on fingers. Conversations layered into construction. A beautiful kind of buzz that only happens when people show up and co-create something meaningful.

This wasn’t just an art piece-it was an act of artivism, rooted in youth participatory research and healing-centered engagement. Together Towards Peace is about more than addressing harm, it's about imagining peace, it's about imagining new possibilities through collective creativity, shared leadership, and visible youth voice. The butterfly holds the pulse of year two -a reminder that when we create together, we heal together.

This arts installation moment is when and collide in sacred (and slightly chaotic) community magic.

Steven Rosado
https://abc7chicago.com/post/student-ideas-end-gun-violence-nobles-baker-college-prep-drw-highland-park-high-roosevelt-school/16424466/

Chicago area students to present ideas to help stop gun violence Students from across Chicago are sharing their ideas to help stop gun violence.

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In Session 4 school teams came together working in school teams & across schools to work on their posters, practice their presentations, give each other feedback, and get ready to share their ideas at the culminating event ( ❤️)

The session also included a collaborative art project inspired by the four wings of change: , Build, , and .

to the TTP young people showing up, speaking out, and their commitment to and .

time to , center, harness, and amplify what young people have to say...

isn’t a buzzword or a simple hashtag—it’s a commitment to doing things with young people, not for them.

Youth are not just the future. They’re the present! And young people all over the world are calling for SCHOOLS AND YOUTH programs to give them opportunities to lead, build community, explore real-life skills, and talk about the things that matter most—from violence, identity, economics, mental health, politics, climate chnage, and social justice.

we can co-create spaces with youth that are healing, joyful, and full of possibility.

to everyone who came through to this past ! We loved sharing space with so many radical educators from across . what an amazing way to the series and ! Wishing you all a restful, joyful break—y'all deserve it for all the work and sacrifice!

We’ll be back next month with more music, community, and after school vibes