Preparing tomorrow's leaders
A comprehensive curriculum to develop the next generation of leaders and stewards
Earning while learning
With an ultimate goal to address social inequities and violence prevention, Concordia Place offers earn and learn opportunities so teens can develop the important practical and life skills that drive academic, career, and personal achievement.
Affordable and accessible
Teen Leadership programming is offered year round and at no cost. By ensuring affordability and accessibility in a safe, structured, and supervised environment, Teen Leadership contributes to the wellbeing and safety of Chicago teens in our community.
- Creating Leaders – Teens are on-track to graduate from high school and are confident in their ability to achieve their future goals.
- Employability – Teens develop social and emotional competencies that drive academic, career and personal achievement.
- Social Responsibility – Teens value being of service to their community, and respect different opinions and attitudes.
- Ecology – Teens become environmental stewards and understand how their actions impact the earth.
- Healthy Lifestyle – Teens are armed with skills for a nutritious and healthy lifestyle.
Proactive Outcomes
With four programs offered during critical out of school time, Teen Leadership allows teens to flourish as they explore their inspiration.
While program content varies, all engage teens in hands-on activities based on a curriculum informed by MHA Labs, a research-based framework of six core social, emotional, and cognitive skill domains proven to drive academic, career, and personal success.
Teen Programs Director:
Gwyndolyn Moss
Gwyndolyn has had a creative drive for being involved in her community throughout her life either through public murals or community service projects. Gwyn started in 2008 as the summer counselor and was promoted throughout the years from Community Programs Coordinator and Lead Teen Counselor to Community Programs Manager in 2012 and to Teen Program Director in 2022.
Gwyn manages Teen Leadership staff while generating ideas to keep the program fresh, leading edge, and relevant to community needs. She is a teaching professional artist, endorsed and certified for middle and high school art, as well as a faculty member for the University of Phoenix, in the Humanities department. Gwyn earned her BA in Liberal Arts & Sciences with a painting concentration and an MAE in Secondary Visual Arts Education from DePaul University. She was elected to the Illinois AfterSchool Network [IAN] Board of Directors shortly after winning the 2014 IAN Best Practices Program Award for the Emerging Leaders program.
Shop Ruckus!
Support a Teen-run Enterprise. You buy one, we give one! With every product purchase, the same product is donated to an organization that helps people in need. We believe that everyone should have access to healthy, natural products regardless of their financial status which is why we are proud of our BOGO mission.
