Mentorship 2.0 | Week 8

We can’t believe our first cohort for Mentorship 2.0 is almost over. It was media day for our mentees to highlight their skill sets. They collaborated with other mentees and small businesses to make this media day a success. There were three setups: A studio setup with a backdrop, lighting, and additional props. A coffee cart featuring Gabi’s goal of having a mobile coffee shop. Lastly, a creative setup, where the photographers had freedom to place their models wherever they wanted them.

The photography team - Mya, Saffron, and Adlemy- rotated through each station, capturing content and experimenting with different looks. They worked closely with another mentee, Keilani, a digital artist developing an album cover concept, and Gabi with her coffee brand.

It was a day of shared ideas, various setups, and a space filled with creativity!

Community Yoga

This week’s community session was yoga, led by Daisa Key, a yoga instructor who previously led multiple yoga sessions in our community. Dasia guided the participants through a mix of stretches and grounding poses. There were also quiet moments on the mats, with calming music playing in the background. Daisa gave everyone space to pause and lie back.

Big thanks to Dasia for holding the space with so much care and being attentive to each participant.

Calm Room: Bracelet Making

During the Calm Room, we set up tables and chairs for a bracelet-making session, led by Liz, our Program Coordinator. Liz explained the intention behind making bracelets and how each charm and/or bead can be represented. The students chose their beads and charms and got to wear their bracelets, the excitement from the students seeing their own bracelets come together.

By the end of the session, 17 bracelets were made!

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

Mentorship 2.0 | Week 7

We kicked off our first in-person session of Mentorship 2.0! Our mentees, Adlemy, Mya, Gabi, Keilani, and Saffron learned about systems and workflows. There was brainstorming for what they wanted their projects to look like, what would be the first step, and how that would look to them. The mentees continued to plan what they wanted to do for media day for the following week. We also had each mentee work on poses and have their own headshots taken, along with group photos.

We are excited to see what unfolds next week and what visions come to life, and everyone showing up in their own creative way!

Mental Health Giveaway | PMSA

We had another giveaway but this time at Proviso Mathematics & Science Academy (PMSA). We are excited to share that we were able to give away 119 Mental Health Kits to the students at PMSA! It was great to see the students engaging and the excitement about seeing The Firehouse Dream team. We also got to share information and our upcoming workshops and programming. We also are thankful for our volunteers for helping out and West40 for being a part of the giveaway!

Thank you PMSA for having us - we are grateful for the chance to connect and share resources.