Breaking the Cycle: How True Believers Tackles Today's Biggest Barrier for Underserved Youth

The numbers tell a harsh story. In Chicago, particularly on the Southside, young people face a web of interconnected challenges that can feel impossible to escape. Limited access to quality education, few economic opportunities, and systemic barriers create what experts call "cyclical disadvantage": a pattern where circumstances from one generation inevitably pass to the next.

But here's what the statistics don't capture: the incredible resilience and potential that exists within every young person, regardless of their zip code or family background.

At True Believers Community Connections, we've spent years working directly with Chicago's youth, and we've identified the single biggest barrier that keeps talented young people stuck in cycles they never chose. It's not what most people think.

The Real Barrier Isn't What You'd Expect

Many assume the biggest challenge facing underserved youth is lack of funding, poor schools, or even community violence. While these are serious issues, our experience working with hundreds of young people has revealed something deeper: disconnection from opportunity pathways.

It's not that opportunities don't exist: it's that young people often don't know how to access them, don't have someone to vouch for them, or don't believe they're "meant" for certain paths. This creates an invisible ceiling that's harder to break than any external barrier.

"The tragedy isn't that doors are locked," explains Dr. Carol Y. Collum, Executive Director of True Believers Community Connections. "It's that young people don't know which doors to knock on, or they've been told so many times they don't belong that they stop knocking altogether."

This disconnection manifests in several ways:

• Information gaps: Not knowing about scholarships, internships, or programs that could change everything

• Network isolation: Lacking adults who can make introductions or provide references

• Confidence barriers: Internalizing messages about what's "realistic" for someone from their background

• Skills misalignment: Having potential but missing the specific skills or credentials needed to access opportunities

How True Believers Breaks the Cycle

Rather than creating another program that addresses symptoms, True Believers Community Connections tackles this root cause through what we call "Connection-Based Empowerment." Our approach works on three levels:

1. Building Bridges to Opportunity

We don't just tell young people about opportunities: we actively connect them to the people and resources that make those opportunities accessible. This means:

• Direct introductions to mentors in fields they're interested in

• Skills-building workshops that prepare them for specific opportunities

• Ongoing advocacy to help them navigate applications, interviews, and onboarding processes

2. Developing Internal Navigation Systems

We teach young people how to identify and pursue opportunities independently. Through our programs, participants learn:

• How to research and evaluate opportunities

• How to present themselves professionally in different contexts

• How to build and maintain professional relationships

• How to advocate for themselves effectively

3. Creating New Pathways

When traditional pathways don't serve our community members, we create new ones. This includes:

• Community leadership programs that fast-track young people into local advocacy roles

• Entrepreneurship support for those who want to create their own opportunities

• Peer mentoring initiatives that multiply our impact through young people helping each other

Real Results from Real People

The proof is in the outcomes. Over the past two years, 78% of True Believers participants have accessed opportunities they previously didn't know existed: from college scholarships to internships at major Chicago companies to leadership roles in community organizations.

More importantly, they're now equipped to continue finding and creating opportunities throughout their lives. As one participant put it: "I used to think success was for other people. Now I know it's for people who know how to find the right doors and have the confidence to walk through them."

The Ripple Effect

When we successfully connect one young person to opportunity pathways, the impact extends far beyond that individual. They become a resource for siblings, friends, and eventually their own children. They prove what's possible to other young people who share their background.

This is how cycles truly break: not through one-time interventions, but through sustainable changes in how young people see themselves and their possibilities.

What Makes Our Approach Different

Many well-meaning programs focus on fixing what's "wrong" with young people or their communities. True Believers starts from a different premise: these young people already have everything they need to succeed. Our job is simply to help them access the systems and networks that have historically been closed to them.

This empowerment-focused approach produces different results because it builds long-term capability rather than temporary fixes.

Looking Forward

The cycle of limited opportunity doesn't have to continue. Every young person who learns to navigate opportunity pathways becomes living proof that change is possible. They become mentors, advocates, and examples for the next generation.

At True Believers Community Connections, we're not just helping individual young people succeed: we're rewiring entire networks to be more inclusive and accessible. We're proving that with the right connections and support, any young person can become the author of their own story.

Take Action

Breaking cycles requires community investment. Whether you're a potential mentor, partner organization, or community member who believes in the potential of Chicago's youth, there are ways to get involved.

Visit our programs page to learn more about our connection-based approach, or check out our upcoming events to see how you can support this important work.

The cycle breaks when we all become bridge-builders. What bridge will you help build?