CLX January Community Meetup | Grounded in Gratitude: Spotlighting Chicago’s Mentors

Join us for a morning that centers celebration, connection, and care for the people who make Chicago’s youth ecosystem thrive.

Grounded in Gratitude is CLX’s January meetup dedicated to recognizing the mentors, youth workers, teaching artists, and program leaders who support young people every day. This gathering creates space to pause, reflect, and honor the work that often happens quietly but has a deep impact across our city.

Guests will enjoy a banquet-style breakfast, a community toast, and space to connect with peers across the OST landscape. The morning will feature mentorship spotlights from the 2025 Brother Mike Award nominees, where they will share practical tools, stories, and guidance from their work with youth. Each round of spotlights will be paired with table conversations to help the community learn from one another.

The meetup will also include raffle prizes and hands-on activity stations focused on care and creativity, including a self-care station, letter writing to mentors, and FREE headshots.

This event is designed to uplift and energize our community as we begin a new year grounded in gratitude for the people who make Chicago’s youth work possible!