Cierra Lemott 
True Star is an organization that has always held the goals of bettering Chicago’s youth, spreading awareness of what’s happening, and doing its part to combat the city’s negativity. That’s why ChangeChi was created.
ChangeChi is an extension of True Star that pushes for youth and other Chicago citizens to know their rights and de-escalation tactics to reduce violence.
“We believe everyone should know their rights, all neighborhoods should have the same resources, the police should be de-escalation masters, schools should teach de-escalation, the youth have a voice, and together we can #CHANGECHI,” says the ChangeChi website.
This program was created by youth who are a part of True Star’s Youth Violence Prevention Ambassadors (YVPA) program. These youth have all faced violence in Chicago in some capacity and wanted to do their part to reduce the amount of violence seen moving forward.
To learn more about ChangeChi, visit changechi.org.
By Cierra Lemott, Junior, Columbia College Chicago
Instagram: @cece.kodak / @kodakscamera
