In 2021, we launched a citywide Time Capsule initiative in Chicago to empower children to process and share their unique experiences during the pandemic. Our aim was to celebrate them as an extraordinary generation who navigated unprecedented challenges with resilience.

Teaming up with 40 organizations, including Chicago Public Library, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Lurie Center for Childhood Resilience, MyChi MyFuture, and Multiple, we enabled kids from every corner of the city to contribute to this collective memory.

As the project concluded, we asked ourselves: "How else can a time capsule support our young people?" Conversations with parents, educators, and youth revealed that what we had created was more than a record of history; it was a potent tool for nurturing ongoing youth well-being.