Katie Svaicer’s passion for art has taken her across the country and landed her a career with a unique way of connecting to young  people in Chicago through customized educational programs.

Before  graduating  from Columbia in 2008 with a master’s degree from the Business and Entrepreneurship Department, Svaicer joined Youth Guidance in 2004, a Chicago-area nonprofit that offers a wide range of school-based programs to help children.  Svaicer talked to The Chronicle about her experience at Youth Guidance and the impact it has on the community.

THE CHRONICLE: What do you do daily with Youth Guidance?

Katie Svaicer: I oversee five different programs and am the direct manager of people that work full time at each of those schools. I work at Ravenswood, Edison STEM, South Loop and Cassell [Chicago Public elementary schools]. It’s been interesting to work with families and students from all over the city who come from all walks of life and mixed-income communities. We are able to work with students who may have never been exposed to the kind of programs we are offering, which is truly rewarding.

What are the Extended Day and Enrichment programs?

We offer after-school programming as well as spring, summer and winter break camps. We work closely with the administration, teachers, families and the communities to figure out the needs of the school and offer enrichment—mostly arts-based—that people are looking for. We try to provide programs they are interested in, alongside homework help and extra academic support. It’s a safe place for students to learn, have fun and engage.

What is the key to your organization, and all of its programs success? 

A major key is the adaptability of the program to meet the needs of the school and community that we are in. We also employ people who are really passionate to ensure students are learning the most they can while having fun. 

What makes us unique is we don’t have a cookie-cutter program. We come in with an open mind and want to be a partner; we don’t want to be a totally separate entity. Our goal is to work with everybody and become a staple in that school and become part of the experience. 

Every school has homework help time, or sports and outdoor recreational time, but the specific activities that are happening at that school are specific to that site. We use surveys, focus groups and advisory boards to figure out what they need to be at that group.

What is your favorite part about working alongside Youth Guidance?

Given that my background and passion is in art, getting to see these students find new ways to express themselves creatively has always been what I take the most joy in. Watching students blossom and express themselves creatively when they may have been more introverted or have other disadvantages is amazing.

Do you think Youth Guidance is making a difference?

I think students are definitely taking it to heart, especially when we are able to find a student’s interest. Sometimes it takes a little time to get to those students who don’t want to participate or aren’t into sports or art. If you can take the time to work with that student and family one-on-one, you’ll be able to find something that inspires them, and it’s extremely rewarding. We try to get to know people on a deeper more personal level.

What would happen to these kids if your organization wasn’t around to help them?

We have a lot of diverse programing with students in a lot of different kinds of populations. For some of those students, they may end up in a gang, end up in jail or maybe even end up pregnant as a teenager. However, the students I’m working with are in a different situation. I do think that we help our students gain that confidence to help them be successful.

What is the greatest student success story?

We had a student a couple years ago who had autism. He was very well tempered but never really engaged in our activities. One day, he signed up for one of our dance classes. He took right to it and loved it. Eventually, he performed in one of our shows and got a standing ovation. The dance class really helped him break out of his shell. Before, he was really introverted, and it helped him find a way to express himself.

How does it feel knowing your program helps 1,000 kids a year?

It makes me very proud of the time and commitment I’ve put into the organization. It also makes me hopeful we can help more in the future. I would love to see the number double eventually. As an organization we are growing and are constantly reaching more students all the time. Some schools we deal with have large student populations, so I think it’s definitely obtainable.