Bright Promises celebrates 150 years, awarding $10K grants to 5 student-led organizations

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Bright Promises Foundation in Chicago is celebrating 150 years next week.

To mark the occasion, the foundation is giving $10,000 grants to five student-led organizations that are trying to make a difference in the city.

Katherine Korey with Bright Promises, as well as Jacob Clinkscales and Nadiah Alyafai, who represent two of those student-led organizations, joined ABC7 Chicago in the studio.

Two of the winners are the Arab American Action Network and Storycatchers Theater.

The Arab American Action Network's Youth Leadership Team is doing a project where they are interviewing members of the Arab and Muslim community in Chicago about their experiences with racial profiling. They plan to use the grant money to purchase professional video and audio equipment to produce a video series about racial profiling.

Storycatchers Theatre is made up of young people who have been involved with the justice system, and who use theater to tell their stories and heal from traumatic experiences. They plan to use the grant to hold workshops with Chicago Police Department recruits to improve communication and reduce violent interactions between the CPD and youth living in high-crime Chicago neighborhoods.

The grants will be presented on October 15 at Bright Promises annual gala.

For more information on the foundation, visit www.brightpromises.org.