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The Chicago Children Equestrian Center is a nonprofit organization that provides stability, love, and support for disadvantaged, low income, neglected, delinquent, and maladjusted youths, foster care children, and young adults. The Chicago Children Equestrian Center aims to provide opportunities for youths and young adults in our communities through equine experiences. We aim to give at-risk youth a safe and enriching space that furthers their future development. Horses teach children critical traits, including the value of hard work, honesty, compassion, responsible risk-taking, self esteem, and self-control.
Horses are fun and kids adore them. Learning horsemanship promotes important life skills, and the right horse can be a wonderful confidence-booster for a child. Giving kids a positive introduction to horses increases the chances that they will continue to be involved with these beautiful animals throughout their life.
Our programs help to lift youths out of an impossible situation and into a world filled with hope and opportunity. Our purpose is to not only change their circumstances but their journey. This change requires a sense of safety, stability, and a strong support network. Our program provides youths and young adults with the opportunity to learn horsemanship, horse husbandry, and riding skills without the expense of leasing or owning a horse. We do this because we believe in the healing powers of horses, the lessons and values attained by caring for them, and that every child deserves access to these activities regardless of their family’s income, geographic location or racial/ethnic identity.
We aim to create program initiatives that support these “at-risk” individuals by creating positive structures in their lives that will ultimately help promote civic responsibility in the future.
We are committed to making our program accessible for all youths and young adults (ages 10-35) in Cook County. We can provide youths with transportation, meals and snacks, a warm, welcoming environment, and an ever-growing network of additional Cook County based supports that we can refer to families when needed.
We believe that working with horses strengthens youths and young adults physically, mentally, and emotionally.
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Our Mission
Chicago Children Equestrian Center aims to provide our children and young adults (especially those who are living in challenging environments) with equine experiences that helps to build them with the skills that are necessary for them to reach their full potential as members of our community. Through our programs, participants are given the tools and support necessary to make better choices during a critical period in their lives.
Our goal is to create program initiatives that support “at-risk” youths by creating positive structures in their lives that will ultimately help promote civic responsibility in the future. With encouraging lessons of self-love, good sportsmanship, personal accountability, and self-esteem, our organization believes that these are essential qualities for individuals to develop so that they may live productive, self-sufficient, happy, and fulfilling lives. We are committed to nurturing lasting relationships with our client families, staff, volunteers, donors, and the communities we serve.
Our Vision
Our vision is to inspire positive change in our community and to help participants to engage with horses and the responsibilities they come with so they can then apply these lessons in their own lives.
Chicago Children Equestrian Center will be a county and state leader in the quality of our program, services, innovative use of resources, and professional conduct. provide stability, love, and support for disadvantaged, low income, neglected, delinquent, and maladjusted youths, foster care children, young adults, and the disabled in the community. Our programs help to lift youths out of an impossible situation and into a world filled with hope and opportunity. Our purpose is to not only change their circumstances but their journey. This change requires a sense of safety, stability, and a strong support network.
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