Meet the Staff of ICOY
The Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY) team holds a wealth of experiences and expertise in the systems that affect and support children, youth, and families. Each ICOY staff member brings to the table a passion for the well-being of children and youth and for the advancement of best practices on the individual, community, and systemic levels.
Chanel Dotson
Prevention and Intervention Manager - Illinois Youth Investment Program & CYS
Meet ICOY's Interns
ICOY champions social justice and human rights for youth-serving agencies in Illinois with an emphasis on child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, prevention and intervention services, trauma-informed care, and race equity. ICOY seeks students with a demonstrated interest in a systems-focused internship with an emphasis on providing capacity building, advocacy, and policy for programs and direct-service providers that are committed to helping children, youth, families, and communities thrive. Learn more about ICOY's internship program.
Meet the R.E.A.L. Staff
Rising. Elevating. And. Leading. Youth Initiative (R.E.A.L.) is an unassociated group facilitated by previously incarcerated young people. It is a youth-led, peer-mentor resource hub which addresses the trauma and PTSD of incarceration and post-incarceration community re-entry. R.E.A.L. founders Denzel Burke and Destine Phillips work with young people to address these issues with community education, professional development, and the arts. In addition, they use peace circles for conflict resolution. ICOY is supporting and working with them to ensure they can become a successful standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the future.
Learn more about R.E.A.L. on our blog or visit their website to stay up to date on their current events.
Interested in working at ICOY? Learn more on our Careers page!