We are pleased to announce that Free Write’s Executive Director and Founder, Ryan Keesling, was named one of the Field Foundation’s Leaders for a New Chicago for 2020. The awards are part of Field’s ongoing investment in racial justice visionaries and organizations addressing systemic issues in Chicago’s divested communities.

This award went to eleven individuals around the city, including Ryan, for Free Write’s work developing of healing-centered methodologies based in arts and literacy programming with criminalized youth and young adults. Each recipient was also given a $50,000 award for the leaders to split with the organizations they represent to continue their work.

You can read more about the award and the other Leaders for a New Chicago recipients on the Field Foundation website. Congratulations, Ryan!

photo credit: Field Foundation / Samantha Cabrera Friend