Centro Romero has been a partner with BRAVE since the project’s inception in 2018. Centro Romero is a community-based organization that serves the refugee immigrant population on the northeast side of Chicago. Programming is at its center. Over 20 students ranging from 8th-12th grade participate in the BRAVE services which are offered at the agency four days a week. 

This year, BRAVE at Centro Romero has been able to safely continue in-person programming with the addition of temperature checks and thorough cleaning protocols. Programming is created by the Site Coordinator with the support of an MSW intern from Loyola and aims to provide a well-rounded experience for its student participants. The after-school program is offered online as well for students who would prefer to participate from home. Students are encouraged to bring their thoughts and feelings into every BRAVE session, and programming is designed with the students’ needs in mind. BRAVE activities include lessons on mental health management, SMART goals, self-worth, and internal bias. Students have also had the opportunity to join field trips.

BRAVE has partnered with other organizations to create additional learning opportunities for the students. This includes a service-learning project from UNIDOS US. This program, The Cultura, Aprendizaje, Servicios, Acción (CASA), provides culturally-relevant lessons that encourage community engagement focused on the Latino community’s needs. In this site you can learn more about the program. Other partners include The Loyola University of Chicago Chapter of GlobeMed, which has engaged with the students around current events and sharing lessons from their own experiences. Most recently, the GlobeMed volunteers set up a virtual college panel in which they shared their college experiences and answered questions from the students.

Recent programming has included soccer, volleyball, and community engagement work through Community Navigators. See photos.

To learn more about Centro Romero and its programs outside of BRAVE, please visit the agency at http://centroromero.org/