MAGIC
Social change depends on inspiring teenagers to reach their full potential. That’s the conviction that motivated Bryan Echols to co-found the Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization (MAGIC). For young people with big dreams, MAGIC provides a roadmap towards success.
Young people truly do have the power within them to envision and create a more just society,” Nichols says.
With programs including leadership development, after-school apprenticeships, art activities, a string instrument program and a teen talk show, MAGIC serves over 200 youth annual in some of Chicago’s most severely under-resourced neighborhoods. Community service projects—like a massive peer education campaign about sexually transmitted infections—also teach these aspiring young people the important of reaching out and helping others find their path to success.
A $15,000 grant from the Trust’s community development program helped MAGIC establish a teen dating violence program. Most recently, the group received $40,000 in general operating support.
