Dear Friends and Supporters,
As we begin FY26 (and look ahead to celebrating our 25th year of service to Chicago’s children and families in 2026), it is my pleasure to share some exciting news!
Since 2001, Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (ChicagoCAC) has served as Chicago’s front-line responder to reports of child sexual abuse. Through collaboration with public, private, and community partners, we work every day to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of abused children and survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Today, we are proud to deepen our commitment to collaboration by welcoming Imagination Theater into the ChicagoCAC family as a new program.
Imagination Theater has been a longtime partner through its involvement in our Chicago Prevention Alliance and shares our strong commitment to education and prevention. For nearly 60 years, they have delivered original, dynamic, and participatory theater programs that help young people explore social emotional issues they face. Using theater as a tool, they help make students more aware of an issue through scripted scenes. Students become more knowledgeable around that issue by participating in facilitated discussions. Finally, students are able to apply that knowledge by participating in role-plays with the performers.
In 1985, Imagination Theater launched a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program that has become a central part of their mission. With prevention education being a key pillar of our work at ChicagoCAC, this partnership brings new opportunities to expand our reach and impact. Together, we will be able to educate even more children on how to recognize, prevent, and report abuse.
Beginning this month, the Imagination Theater Program will be housed within our Education, Outreach, and Prevention department, led by Director Steve Leaver. Through this integration, we will:
- Expand our reach by offering interactive programs to more schools and youth-serving organizations across Chicago and beyond.
- Enhance our expertise by combining Imagination Theater’s creative, theatrical approach with our proven prevention strategies.
- Innovate by developing new, story-based experiences that amplify children’s voices and inspire communities to take action against abuse.
To the dedicated team, volunteers, and supporters of Imagination Theater, welcome to ChicagoCAC. We are honored to carry forward your legacy of creativity and education. And to our existing ChicagoCAC community, thank you for your continued support. Partnerships like this are possible because of your commitment to our mission and the essential work we do.
As we look to the future, we know that preventing abuse and supporting survivors requires all of us. True change happens when we collaborate, embrace new ideas, and remain committed to long-term solutions. Our new partnership with Imagination Theater will help us reach more children and young people, strengthening our communities and bringing us closer to our vision of a future free from abuse.
With gratitude,
