Well Chicago

I started WELL Chicago from a very personal space.

As a parent raising two boys in the city, I had trouble finding affordable outside of school enrichment and also in lieu of sports, and I really wanted my kids to participate in arts and STEM.

They also wanted to participate in those activities, and I thought about how many other families are in the same boat.

So our mission at WELL Chicago is to empower children ages five to 13 through arts, inventions, and civic engagement, and we want young people to recognize that their voices and ideas matter, that they're capable of solving real problems, and that they can make an impact.

And another thing is that, this is not a secret, of course, Chicago has so much incredible talent, so much creativity.

Uh, actually, creative economy is the third economy in the city.

There's so many businesses and resources.

So over time, the question became: How can we bring all of those parts together to create more vibrant communities and opportunities for young people? And that's really how WELL Chicago came to life and evolved, and ultimately, we're working towards a Chicago where every child, regardless of their zip code or family income, has the opportunity to create, explore, and participate as leaders.

I started WELL Chicago from a very personal space.

As a parent raising two boys in the city, I had trouble finding affordable outside of school enrichment and also in lieu of sports, and I really wanted my kids to participate in arts and STEM.

They also wanted to participate in those activities, and I thought about how many other families are in the same boat.

So our mission at WELL Chicago is to empower children ages five to 13 through arts, inventions, and civic engagement, and we want young people to recognize that their voices and ideas matter, that they're capable of solving real problems, and that they can make an impact.

And another thing is that, this is not a secret, of course, Chicago has so much incredible talent, so much creativity.

Uh, actually, creative economy is the third economy in the city.

There's so many businesses and resources.

So over time, the question became: How can we bring all of those parts together to create more vibrant communities and opportunities for young people? And that's really how WELL Chicago came to life and evolved, and ultimately, we're working towards a Chicago where every child, regardless of their zip code or family income, has the opportunity to create, explore, and participate as leaders.