Mentorship Celebration

That is a wrap for Spring Mentorship 2.0! We celebrated with good food and reflected on mentorship. We started the last session by heading out to eat together, giving the mentees space to unwind and celebrate their accomplishments and completion of the Mentorship. We talked through everything this Mentorship held: what we learned, the goals we set, the challenges, and the project the mentees worked on collaboratively. After, we made our way back to The Firehouse Dream, where the conversations shifted to more about what the mentees’ journey with photography has been looking like for them recently.

We wrapped the day with group photos and video content of our celebration. Thank you to the mentees for showing up and being ready to learn during Mentorship.

Mentorship 2.0 | Collaborative Project

For this week’s Mentorship session, our mentees gathered to work on their collective project, a magazine dedicated to Proviso and Maywood. Each mentee is highlighting different things about Proviso. Mya is photographing families, capturing the heart of Proviso through the people of the community. Saffron is photographing local businesses, spotlighting the owners who keep the community moving. Melina is capturing events and highlighting the history, putting together past and present, honoring the stories held in Proviso. Haley is documenting sports, the athletes, teams, and traditions that energize the neighborhood. Ethan is designing the layout of the magazine, bringing every piece together visually, and finalizing the magazine.

The mentees had a quick check-in with Jasmine on their project progress, then moved on to giving each other feedback and updates. We also spent time interviewing the mentees, giving them time to speak about their experience and things that they have learned so far during mentorship. As it gets closer to finalizing their project, the mentees are learning how to collaborate, communicate, and create with purpose.

Staff Retreat | 2025

Our team came together for a refreshing and productive staff retreat, building connection and collaboration. Through brainstorming and thoughtful discussions, we strengthened our vision and goals for what we aim to do for both The Firehouse Dream and Maywood. We are excited for what comes next and what it could look like for The Firehouse Dream!

Alt Chicago

Photo Credit: Jasmine

We did it again! We went on our second field trip with our 10 mentees! This past Saturday we took a trip to the city to learn how to build sustainable waste bins. Also, our mentees learned about reducing waste and having more sustainable options. Did you know that black and brown communities have fewer garbage bins throughout their town than white communities do? Alt Chicago is a black-owned, non-profit led by Jordan and Jon who specialize in building these waste bins out of wood from old pallets, this way everything is being reused and there is less waste. We cannot wait to partner with even more amazing non-profits and organizations like this one! Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @thefirehousedream to see more behind the scenes from our mentorship.

Photo Credit: Jasmine

Progress, Progress, Progress

Photo Credit: Mya Rose

This past Saturday, our mentees continued their work on their projects. They have been working hard the last few weeks to create their own brands, as well as new merch for TFD! This week they began creating their websites, ordering the clothing for the shops, turning their artwork digital and much more! Our mentees have made so much progress and are coming closer and closer to the end everyday. They will be sharing with everyone once they are done! You can continue to check in on our blog to keep up with their progress!

Photo Credit: Mariah & Mya Rose