YOUTH GUIDANCE RAISES RECORD-BREAKING FUNDS AS IT CELEBRATES ‘BECOMING A MAN’ PROGRAM

CHICAGO – May 20, 2011 – Youth Guidance, Chicago’s longest-serving social service agency with a daily presence in Chicago Public Schools, raised a record $300,000 at its annual benefit Saturday, May 14. Four hundred people attended the evening dinner-dance at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park Hotel and celebrated the organization’s nationally recognized program, B.A.M. (Becoming A Man™).

Founded in 1924, Youth Guidance (<www.youth-guidance.org>) is one of the city’s oldest and most respected social service organizations. It serves approximately 14,000 students in more than 70 Chicago Public Schools each year with before and after school programs, counseling and school-change initiatives.

“Youth Guidance delivers a wide range of school-based programs and services to Chicago’s at-risk youth and we couldn’t do it without the continued support of our generous benefactors,” said Youth Guidance CEO, Michelle Adler Morrison. “We thank everyone who joined us at the gala and made the night a success.”

Proceeds will support Youth Guidance’s counseling, community and after school and youth workforce development programs. In addition to B.A.M., Youth Guidance offers several counseling programs, such as Project PREPARE, Project STRIVE and Girl Life.

Harris Bank Honored as ‘Organization of the Year’

This year’s gala also recognized leaders in local community service. Harris Bankcorp Vice Chairman Peter McNitt and Harris Bank received the Organization of the Year Award. The Outstanding Individual Service Award was given to Latham & Watkins partner and Youth Guidance Board member Mark Gerstein.

‘Becoming A Man’ mentors 700 at-risk Chicago youth

Guests at the program were given an overview of B.A.M.’s participants, counselors and student sessions with a heart-warming video <http://www.hypemediaus.com/ygfinal.html> titled “B.A.M.: Becoming A Man.”

As a school-based counseling/mentoring, violence prevention and educational enrichment program, B.A.M. program is designed to promote social-emotional and behavioral competencies in at-risk male youth. The program was also the subject of a recent study by The University of Chicago Crime Lab.

Youth Guidance counselor and B.A.M. Program Manager Anthony Di Vittorio initiated the program when he noticed his male students didn’t always have positive male role models. The first B.A.M. sessions were held at Roberto Clemente High School in 2001. Today, B.A.M. serves more than 700 at-risk boys in 18 Chicago public schools.

“This program has had a tremendous impact on the lives of the youth we serve,” Di Vittorio said. “It is thrilling to see the changes we make in each young man’s life. We were honored to have a few of our students at the gala to celebrate with us.”

B.A.M. counselor Marshaun Bacon encourages his students to recognize the need for positive male role models and how they can lead to positive emotions and academic success.

“Young men turn to our male mentors for guidance and we focus on building and nurturing these relationships,” said Bacon. “We help our youth overcome obstacles and express anger in a positive way by providing a safe space to change habits and develop social and emotional skills.”

DJ Naba, a B.A.M. counselor at Harper High School in West Englewood, said out of 16 students in his group, only three had ongoing relationships with their fathers.

“Many of the young men learn to live without their fathers or are forced to raise themselves without positive male role models,” said Naba. “That is why B.A.M. is so important.”

A 2009 study conducted by the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab showed improved school engagement, better grades and a decrease in violent crime arrests among B.A.M. students.

To learn more about Youth Guidance, B.A.M. or other programs, visit www.youth-guidance.org or www.facebook.com/youthguidance.chicago.

About Youth Guidance

Founded in 1924, Youth Guidance is one of Chicago’s oldest and most respected social service agencies dedicated to providing academic and youth-development programs to at-risk Chicago pubic school students. Currently, Youth Guidance serves approximately 14,000 youth annually with offices in nearly 70 Chicago public elementary and high schools.