kids create change

Our organization centers the stories of young people, Black, Brown, Indigenous artists, and artists who are often marginalized or silenced due to their social identities including those who identify as non-binary, LGBTQ, neurodiverse, and artists with disabilities.  Our mission is equity and social justice through the arts, and is grounded in the power of visibility and representation as a force for shifting social consciousness towards a more empathetic and antiracist society.

Why Kids?

Kids Create Change utilizes art-based storytelling to promote social-emotional development, sociocultural awareness and social justice learning in young people.  Young people are increasingly at the forefront of social activism on a local and global level.  They are today's change makers and our hope for a better future.  It is vital that foundational social justice learning begin in early childhood and include opportunities that:

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1. foster imagination and creativity in order to be able to envision the possibilities of a just society

2. cultivate caring, compassion and empathy 

3. introduce concepts of equity and justice using vocabulary and curricula that meet developmental and social-emotional needs

4. encourage critical thinking and explore self-advocacy and activism in its many different forms 

What We Value

We believe that storytelling through the arts is a powerful vehicle for fostering imagination, creativity and empathy which are essential tools for valuing our own identities, seeing things from multiple perspectives, and understanding experiences other than our own.  

What We Do

We create and facilitate programs that use multimedia, sensory-based storytelling to center identity, culture, community and care.  Our programs are available off-site in schools and community centers, as well as on-site at the Studio 3 Community Art Studio & Gallery located at 617C Grove St. in downtown Evanston.

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Art in Action Program

ETHOS Program - Launching 2022 ​

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How We Do It

We partner with schools, community groups, and organizations to develop creative, collaborative approaches to equity and social justice work.  In addition to our youth programming, this work includes art-based professional development and workshops with the educators, parents, guardians, mental health professionals, community and social service workers who support the social-emotional development, sociocultural awareness, and social justice learning of our young people.

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Why Us

Our programs are developed and facilitated by socially-engaged artists, board-certified and registered art therapists, mental health counselors, educators and community activists.   We recognize that this work involves a holistic approach that can involve the social, emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of our selves.  We focus on relationship building and meaningful connections to promote collective healing and care.  Our programming is developmentally informed, culturally relevant, inclusive of diverse backgrounds and abilities, equitable in access, sensitive to emotional and psychological concerns, grounded in antiracist and healing justice practices, and move beyond trauma informed care to healing centered engagement.