UCAN in the News
UCAN's CITY campus is featured in this Chicago Tribune article, May 6, 2013
UCAN CEO Tom Vanden Berk is featured in this Chicago Tribune article on UCAN's new CITY campus. In the article Tom speaks about what CITY will do for the North Lawndale community. Please click here to read more.
UCAN's CITY campus featured in Huffington Post article, March 30, 2013
UCAN's CITY campus is featured in this Huffington Post article. The article describes UCAN's new CITY campus as a "safe house" for youth and communities in the North Lawndale area. Click here to read more.
UCAN's CITY campus featured in DNAinfo article on UCAN's violence prevention efforts, March 30, 2013
UCAN's CITY campus is described as a "safe house" in this DNAinfo article. The article describes UCAN's new CITY campus including a football sized Therapeutic Youth Home and the model UCAN has created for violence prevention. Click here to read more.
UCAN featured in N'DGIO web article on Talented Team of Minority and Women-Owned firms Selected to Design and Build UCAN's CITY campus, March 21, 2013
UCAN is featured in this N'DGIO web article on UCAN's comittment to minority and women-owned firms and their involvement in the building of our new CITY campus. Click here to read more.
UCAN in WGN's Chicago's Very Own, March 20, 2013:
UCAN is featured in WGN's episode of Chicago's Very Own. This segment features UCAN youth, Cordell Smith and Jasmine Allen and UCAN CEO Tom Vanden Berk and CITY Vice President Norman Kerr. Please click here to view.
UCAN's CITY Project mentioned in this Chicago Sun-Times article at the site of the former Sears Roebuck & Co. headquarters, March 19, 2013
UCAN's new CITY project has been described as a $32 million youth-services campus in this Chicago Sun-Times article. The article quotes our CEO Tom Vanden Berk and Governing Board Chair Judith C. Rice. Click here to read more.
UCAN mentioned in DNAinfo.com Chicago article about the production of short film, "The Painter", February 5, 2013
UCAN was mentioned in this web article on short film "The Painter" written and directed by Kevin Cooper. Executive Vice President External Affairs & Diversity Claude Robinson and Chief Development Officer Barbara Stone are both quoted in the article. Please click here to read more.
UCAN's Vice President CITY Norman Kerr on Fox's The O'Reilly Factor, February 4, 2013
UCAN's Vice President CITY project Norman Kerr appeared on The O'Reilly Factor with radio host Matt McGill. Norman talked about how gun violence affects youth in Chicago. Click here to see the video clip.
UCAN CEO mentioned in Chicago Tribune featuring parents who have lost children to Chicago's rampant gun violence, February 3, 2013
UCAN's CEO Tom Vanden Berk talks about the loss of his son Tommy Vanden Berk in 1992 in this article in the Chicago Tribune featuring parents who have lost children to Chicago's rampant gun violence. Please click here to read more.
UCAN's CEO Tom Vanden Berk mentioned in Arlington Heights Patch on Gun Panel for Reasonable Gun Control, February 1, 2013
UCAN's CEO Tom Vanden Berk particpated in a round table panel hosted by Congressman Rep. Brad Schneider. Particpants included Wheeling Police Chief William Benson, North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, Executive Director Family First Center of Lake County and gun owner Skip Robertson. Please click here to read more.
UCAN's Vice President CITY project Norman Kerr quoted in this msnbc article on Chicago honor student who was shot a week after she performed at President's inauguration, January 30, 2013
A week after performing at President Obama's inauguration, Hadiya Pendleton was gunned down in a park in Chicago. UCAN's Vice Presdient CITY project Norman Kerr is quoted in this msnbc article talking about youth and violence. Please click here to read more.
UCAN CEO Tom Vanden Berk quoted in The Daily Northwestern at a Evanston Martin Luther King Day event, January 24, 2013
Tom Vanden Berk was the keynote speaker at the annual celebration, called Diverse Evanston Walks United, to give youth in the community an opportunity to speak out against violence. The event featured singing, slam poetry and breakdance interwoven with video clips of interviews with youth on violence prevention. Please click here to read more.
UCAN's LGBTQ Host Home program mentioned in Windy City Times, January 2, 2013
UCAN's LGBTQ Host Home program was mentioned in this Windy City Time article that highlights reccomendations from the weekly's series titled Generation Halsted. Supporting UCAN's LGBTQ Host Home program was one of the reccomendations listed in the article. Click here to read more.
UCAN's Tom Vanden Berk, Norman Kerr and youth Cordell Smith mentioned in MSNBC article on Rising Toll of Gun Violence in Chicago, December 20, 2012
Read more about UCAN's Therapeutic Youth Home young person Cordell Smith in this interesting article on the rising toll of gun violence in Chicago. CEO Tom Vanden Berk and Vice President CITY project Norman Kerr are also quoted. Please click here to read the article in full.
The Chicago Sun Times, UCAN CEO Tom Vanden Berk referenced in column on appeal of the conceal and carry law, December 20 2012
UCAN's CEO Tom Vanden Berk is mentioned in this article on the appeal of the conceal and carry law in the state of Illinois. The article also mentions Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Please click here to read more.
The Windy City Times, LGBTQ Host Home Program: a different approach to youth homelessness, December 12, 2012
UCAN's very own Erin Edwards and her partner Liz Przybylski talk about their experience as host home volunteers for UCAN's LGBTQ Host Home program. Check out this great article on the program and how it has helped LGBTQ homeless youth by clicking here.
The Sacramento Bee, 360° Model Named a Mutual of America 2012 Community Partnership Award Winner, November 20, 2012
UCAN's 360° Model was named as a Mutual of America 2012 Community Partnership Award Winner this last week. The Mutual of America Community Partnership Award annually honors the outstanding contributions that 10 nonprofit organizations, in partnership with public, private and other social sector organizations, make to society. Please click here to read more and here to read an article covering the award in the Sacramento Bee.
UCAN featured in ICOY web article on rising Gun Violence numbers in November
UCAN was featured in this article on ICOY's website. UCAN's CEO Thomas Vanden Berk and Vice President CITY Norman Kerr comment on gun violence in lieu of the recent upsurge in homicide numbers in Chicago. Please click here to read more.
Roosevelt University student newspaper features UCAN's Pamela Wilson in this article on University students mentoring UCAN youth, October, 29, 2012
This Torch article features Roosevelt University Psychology students who recently visited UCAN's Therapeutic Youth Home to mentor UCAN youth. Pamela Wilson, UCAN's Therapeutic Youth Home recreational coordinator talks about the home and how youth are provided therapy treatment plans. Please click here to read the article in full.
Examiner.com, UCAN's Project Visible Man program mentioned in article featuring Chicago tactical efforts to end gun violence, September 25, 2012
The Examiner.com featured UCAN's Project Visible Man program as one the youth initiatives working to end gun violence in Chicago. The article describes the program as one that focuses on providing support and resources to children who have been exposed to violence, abuse and neglect. Please click here to read the article in full.
CBS Channel 2 Chicago, UCAN event mentioned in news piece covering students who were honored for participating in anti-violence programs, September 10, 2012
CBS Chicago covered the "Youth for More Safer and Caring Communities 2012 Youth/Adult Partnership Day" at the South Side Community Art Center that was hosted jointly by UCAN, Target Corp., the city of Chicago Mayor's Office and other youth-focused community organizations on Saturday September 8th 2012. The event showcased youth-led violence prevention projects that were successfully implemented this past summer in Chicago. Click here to read more.
ABC WLS-TV Chicago News, UCAN event mentioned as part of coalition hoping to stop Chicago violence, September 9, 2012
ABC News covered the UCAN and Target Corp. event "Youth for More Safer and Caring Communities 2012 Youth/Adult Partnership Day" at the South Side Community Art Center. Supt. Garry McCarthy, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, and Felicia Davis Executive Director of the City of Chicago's Office of Public Engagement were present among others to applaud the impressive list of youth-led violence prevention projects that were successfully implemented this past summer in Chicago. Click here to read more.
The Chicago Tribune, UCAN event commemorates youth-led summer anti-violence campaign, September 8, 2012
UCAN in partnership with Target Corp., the City of Chicago Mayor's Office and other youth-focused community organizations, hosted the "Youth for More Safer and Caring Communities 2012 Youth/Adult Partnership Day" at the South Side Community Art Center. Supt. Garry McCarthy was at the event and talked about gun violence in Chicago. Click here to read more.
The Council for Health and Human Service Ministries News, September 4, 2012
UCAN's Director of Spiritual Formation Rev. Tyrone Fowlkes is featured in this CHHSM news article about positive experiences helping youth become aware of identity, purpose and service to others. Click here to read more.
The Chicago Tribune, CEO Tom Vanden Berk's letter to the editor, August 5, 2012
UCAN's CEO Tom Vanden Berk's letter to the editor on "Gun Ownership" appeared in The Chicago Tribune's Voice of the People. Please click here to read more or here to see a pdf version of the article.
Youth Today features UCAN staff member Bonnie Wade in an article on homelessness and LGBTQ youth in Chicago, August 2, 2012
Bonnie Wade, Associate Director of UCAN's LGBTQ Host Home program was interviewed by Youth Today on the growing issue of homeless LGBTQ youth in the Chicago area. Please click here to read more.
Catalyst Chicago features UCAN staff members Michael Wilson and Denise Gray-Bunkley in an article on youth and trauma, June 18, 2012
Denise Gray-Bunkley Director of Clinical Counseling Services (CCS) and Michael Wilson Clinical Supervisor for (CCS ) were mentioned in this Catalyst Chicago article on students who witness shootings, lose a parent or experience other trauma and how therapy can help them. Please click here to read more.
The Chicago Crusader features UCAN and Trinity United Church of Christ 3-on-3 basketball classic, June 16, 2012
UCAN is featured in this article covering the fifth annual basketball classic at Lowden Homes. The article mentions how churches like Trinity UCC and social services organizations like UCAN can collaborate on events like these to encourage community building. Please click here to read more.
Chicago Tribune features a video from Chicago Bear Brandon Marshall's visit to UCAN Academy, May 21st, 2012
This video posted on the Chicago Tribune Youtube channel features Brandon Marshall being interviewed during this recent UCAN Academy visit on May 16th, 2012. See video here.
Chicago Sports Network features a video from Chicago Bear Brandon Marshall's visit to UCAN Academy, May 16th, 2012
Brandon was interviewed by the media at UCAN Academy, he then visited with students as well as Project Visible Man participants and spoke about leadership and his therapeutic experiences. See CSN's video interview here.
Chicago Bears website features story on wide receiver Brandon Marshall's visit to UCAN Academy, May 16th, 2012
Brandon spoke with UCAN Academy students and Project Visible Man participants during his visit - read more here.
BroadwayWORLD.com Chicago mentions LGBTQ Host Home Program benefit: The Neo-Futurists' Pride Weekend Presents 30 Queer Plays in 60 Straight Minutes, May 9th, 2012
This year's Neo-Futurists annual Pride Weekend benefit: 30 Queer Plays in 60 Straight Minutes features favorite queer-sexuality and gender bending themed plays from the past year. UCAN's LGBTQ Host Home Program is this year's chosen beneficiary. Please click here to read more.
UCAN's 2012 Teen Gun Survey: Local Efforts to Save our Children-N'DIGO Weekly Magapaper, May 3rd-9th, 2012
UCAN's 2012 Teen Gun Survey was covered in this special feature on teens and guns in the N'DGIO weekly magapaper. Please click here to read more.
UCAN's 2012 Teen Gun Survey: 44% of teens can easily obtain handguns-The Inquisitr, April 19th, 2012
UCAN just released the 2012 Teen Gun Survey results at a press conference featuring UCAN youth, Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele, representatives of the Office of the Mayor, Chicago Police Department, and Office of the Cook County State's Attorney, and Reverend Robin Hood. The survey findings and the press conference were covered in this article in The Inquisitr.
UCAN's 2012 Teen Gun Survey reveals that 44% of teens could get a handgun if they wanted to-WBEZ 91.5, April 18, 2012
UCAN just released the 2012 Teen Gun Survey results at a press conference featuring UCAN youth, Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele, representatives of the Office of the Mayor, Chicago Police Department, and Office of the Cook County State's Attorney, and Reverend Robin Hood. The press conference was covered in this WBEZ 91.5 article and news piece.
UCAN LGBTQ Host Home program mentioned in Chicago Phoenix article, April 6th, 2012
UCAN's LGBTQ Host Home program was mentioned in this Chicago Phoenix article which featured UCAN Host Home program Associate Director Bonnie Wade, a host couple, and a youth who participated in the program. Liz Przbylski and UCAN staff member Erin Edwards who hosted a youth are also mentioned and featured on our LGBTQ Host Home site. Click here to read the article.
UCAN chosen for CHA Housing Opportunity and Services Together (HOST) Program, March 2012
UCAN is partnering with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) to test the innovative HOST Program in Altgeld Gardens. This unique two year pilot effort uses housing as a platform for services to improve the life chances of vulnerable children, youth and adults. To download an article about HOST by the Urban Institute, please click here.
The Chicago Tribune, February 2, 2012
UCAN STAR Christopher Williams is featured in this Tribune article. Chris shares his story of growing up in the Illinois child welfare system and talks about UCAN's STARS program. Click here to read the article.
