My name is Kelli Bosak, and I am a graduate student at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration (SSA). Prior to coming to SSA, I completed a two-year term of AmeriCorps service in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where I coordinated a staff of college student volunteers as well as the daily operations of a community resource center providing direct social services to low-income individuals. I also hold a B.A. in French and anthropology from the University of Michigan. This year, I have been involved with the International House at the University of Chicago in my role as a Community Fellow. Having grown up in the suburbs of Chicago, I am excited to live, work, and learn from the communities on the south side of Chicago.
The project that I will be working to implement this summer is called, Generations of Us: An Intergenerational Storytelling Project on Chicago’s South Side. The project’s aim is to connect young adults living on Chicago’s South Side with older adults to share their personal experiences through oral history interviews. I have partnered with the South Side Help Center and the Atlas Senior Center to recruit young and older adults to voluntarily participate in this project. By working collaboratively with the two partner organizations, the young and older adults will participate in an interactive workshop focusing on the power of storytelling to promote intergenerational reconciliation and learning between those living in communities impacted by poverty, violence, and the criminal justice system.