My Block, My Hood, My City

For the Chicago Hub's inaugural impact project, the Chicago Global Shapers (CGS) selected a project that immersed the hub in Chicago's rich and diverse communities. Shapers wanted to learn about Chicago and understand why the city is so segregated, and then use this understanding to connect Chicagoans and help residents see the city as the sum of its rich neighborhoods.

Over 18 months, CGS collaborated with Chicago community activist Jahmal Cole's My Block My Hood My City (MBMHMC), an organization focused on getting young people into different neighborhoods across the city.

Primarily, Chicago Global Shapers and My Block My Hood My City revised and expanded the "Explorers Club", which brings ten different teenagers to a new neighborhood every month. Explorations include visiting local businesses, museums/cultural hubs, and restaurants that capture the essence of the neighborhood.

Deliverables completed include:

• 3 Community explorations, with 25 youth


• Marketing materials developed


• Outreach templates created


• Produced quality merchandise


• Constructed a fundraising strategy


• Redesign / rebuild of website


• Built successful measurement program


• Created neighborhood database


• Engaged 100% of the hub (28 members)