More Than Backpacks: How Our 4th Annual Back-to-School Bash Became a Youth-Led Movement for Chicago Families
Updated: 5 days ago
There are moments in community work that remind you why you started. Not because everything was easy. Not because everything went perfectly. Not because there was no pressure, no long lines, no lessons learned, and no room to grow.
But because you look around and see thousands of young people and families gathered in one place laughing, receiving support, connecting with resources, eating together, watching performances, getting haircuts, riding the train, climbing the rock wall, meeting community partners, and preparing for a new school year and you realize something powerful is happening.
That is what this year’s 4th Annual Back-to-School Bash & Work and Wellness Fair felt like. It felt like community. It felt like purpose. It felt like young people being reminded that they are seen, supported, celebrated, and worth investing in.
And for Chicago Emerging Stars, that is what this work has always been about.
What Started Small Has Become Something Bigger Than One Person
A few years ago, this began as a small backpack giveaway. Our founder, Jaqueza Thomas, was 18 years old when he used his own savings to purchase backpacks and school supplies for young people in the community. At the time, it was not about building a large event or creating something that thousands of people would one day attend. It was about responding to a need he understood personally.
It was about wanting young people to feel prepared. It was about wanting families to feel supported. It was about seeing a gap and deciding to do something about it.
Now, at 21 years old, Jaqueza has watched that small act of service grow into something much bigger than himself. What started with one young person’s desire to help has become a youth-led, community-centered movement rooted in school readiness, wellness, workforce opportunity, family support, and the belief that young people deserve safe, joyful, and meaningful spaces where they feel valued.
This year, that movement reached a new level.
The 2026 Back-to-School Bash brought 7,974 registered guests, representing a 70% increase from last year, and welcomed 4,428 attendees to Cole (Nat King) Park. For a youth-led nonprofit, that number is not just a statistic. It is a sign of trust. It is a sign of need. It is a sign that families are looking for spaces where their children can receive support, experience joy, and feel connected to something positive before the school year begins.
This Was Not Just an Event for Youth. It Was Built With Youth.
One of the most meaningful parts of this year’s Back-to-School Bash is that it was not only created for young people. It was helped built by young people. This summer, 45 youth from our Community STARS summer program helped shape the spirit, planning, and purpose behind the event. They spent weeks learning about leadership, teamwork, communication, service, community responsibility, and what it means to turn ideas into action.
They did not just talk about leadership in a room. They practiced it. They helped think through how families should feel when they arrived. They discussed what makes an event welcoming. They talked about youth activities, volunteer expectations, event needs, and how to create an experience that felt organized, joyful, and community-centered. Then, on event day, young people helped bring that vision to life.
This year included:
58 youth volunteers under the age of 21
6 youth performers
2 youth from our summer program serving as hosts / MCs
1 youth opening the event in prayer
Youth helping welcome families, support activities, serve alongside adults, and represent the mission of Chicago Emerging Stars
That matters because youth leadership should not be symbolic. It should be real. It should be visible. It should be trusted. At Chicago Emerging Stars, we believe young people are not only the future. They are leaders right now. This year’s Bash reminded us that when young people are given structure, support, and trust, they do not just show up. They help lead.
The Numbers Tell Part of the Story
Impact is not only measured by numbers, but numbers help tell the truth about scale. This year, with thousands of people in attendance, every resource moved quickly because the need was real. By the end of the day, there were no backpacks, no food, no supplies, and no giveaways left over. Everything was fully distributed.
Together, the event provided:
1,800 backpacks and school supplies to help students begin the school year prepared
3,500 meals for families
120 immunizations through health partners
40 vendors, resource partners, and employers sharing community resources, wellness support, and workforce opportunities
900 ice cream cones
Approximately 42 free youth haircuts
Family activities including bouncy houses, face painting, carnival rides, games, a rock climbing wall, a trackless train, live performances, and more
The food alone told a powerful story. We served 3,500 meals, and the demand was so high that food was fully distributed within the first two and a half hours. That moment stayed with us because it showed both the size of the event and the real level of need that still exists for families.
Families did not come only for fun. They came for support. They came for access. They came for dignity. They came for help preparing their children for school. And they came to be part of a community space that reminded them they were not alone.
A Citywide Reach Rooted in South Side Community
While the Back-to-School Bash took place at Cole (Nat King) Park on the South Side, the reach of the event stretched across Chicago. The top 10 neighborhoods represented among registered guests accounted for 5,274 registrations, or 66.1% of all registrations. The highest representation came from: Chatham, Englewood, Bronzeville, South Shore, Roseland, South Chicago, Ashburn, East Side, Greater Grand Crossing, and Woodlawn.
These numbers matter because they show that the Bash continues to reach the communities Chicago Emerging Stars is deeply committed to serving, especially across the South Side and surrounding neighborhoods. But the story is not just where people came from.
The story is why they came. Families came because preparing for school is expensive. They came because children deserve joy before the first day of class. They came because wellness resources matter. They came because workforce connections matter. They came because community support matters. They came because an event like this meets more than one need at once.
And that is exactly why the Back-to-School Bash is more than a giveaway. It is school readiness. It is wellness. It is workforce exposure. It is community safety. It is youth leadership. It is family support. It is joy. It is care. It is a reminder that when community shows up together, young people feel it.
What Families Felt
One of the most important things we heard after the event was not only what families received, but how they felt.
One attendee shared: “This event was for all ages and was a positive blessing on our community. It shows how much the youth care for one another. Every young person was kind and respectful and helpful. I loved it!”
Another parent said: “The event was an amazing and safe experience for my child and nieces and nephews. It was inspiring to see the South Side community come together for the children of our future.”
A different attendee reflected on a moment that stayed with them: “There was a young man that prayed for us and for the kids to have a successful school year, my heart was elated. From us being covered in prayer, receiving resources, kids enjoying games and attractions, free food, school supplies and talented Chicago artists, it felt great to feel such a sense of community.”
Those words mean everything to us. Because while we are proud of the numbers, we are even more proud of the feeling people carried with them. The feeling of being welcomed. The feeling of seeing young people lead. The feeling of knowing children had a safe place to enjoy themselves. The feeling of watching families receive support with dignity. The feeling of community coming together for something positive.
One attendee said it simply: “I liked how the community came together as one.”
That is the heart of the Back-to-School Bash.
What Partners and Volunteers Saw
This event would not have been possible without the volunteers, vendors, performers, resource providers, sponsors, donors, and partners who gave their time, energy, services, and support. From the vendor area to the activity stations, from check-in to resource tables, from food support to youth performances, so many people helped carry the day.
One community partner described Chicago Emerging Stars as: “A bright light and positive example of youth-led leadership and productivity.”
Another partner shared: “It was wonderful to see so many children and families come together and receive support and resources. Chicago Emerging Stars created a positive and impactful event.”
A resource provider also reflected: “Chicago Emerging Stars created an impactful and organized event that truly brought the community together. It was a great kickoff to the school year.”
These reflections matter because the Back-to-School Bash is not built by one person or one team alone. It takes a village. It takes people who believe in young people enough to show up early, stay late, serve families, answer questions, offer resources, bring joy, and help make the day possible.
To every volunteer, vendor, performer, partner, sponsor, donor, barber, stylist, resource provider, staff member, and community supporter: thank you. You helped create something that families will remember.
The Joy Was Real. So Was the Need.
The park was full of energy. Children moved from rides to games to face painting to the rock climbing wall. Families watched performances, visited resource tables, received supplies, and connected with organizations. Young people performed on stage. Youth hosts helped carry the program. Volunteers guided families. Community partners shared resources. Families ate, laughed, waited, walked, watched, and celebrated.
It was beautiful. It was also honest. Because a gathering of this size shows both the strength of community and the needs families are carrying. When 1,800 backpacks are fully distributed, that tells a story. When 3,500 meals are gone within hours, that tells a story. When families stand in long lines because they need food, supplies, haircuts, resources, and support, that tells a story too.
We are proud of what was accomplished, and we are also listening. We heard feedback about long food lines, activity lines, backpack distribution, communication, accessibility, shade, seating, trash cans, and ways to make next year’s event more organized and more child-centered. We are taking that seriously.
Community-centered work does not mean only celebrating what went well. It means listening with care. It means learning from families. It means being honest about growth. It means improving because the people we serve deserve our best.
The size of this year’s Bash showed us what is possible. The feedback showed us what must come next. And we are committed to using both as we plan for the future.
Why This Moment Matters for Chicago Emerging Stars
For Chicago Emerging Stars, this year’s Back-to-School Bash was more than a successful event. It was a milestone. It showed what can happen when a young person’s small act of service grows into an organization that now reaches thousands. It showed what can happen when community partners believe in youth-led work. It showed what can happen when young people are not only served, but trusted to help lead. It also showed why our mission matters.
Chicago Emerging Stars exists to help young people move toward purpose, possibility, and power. That happens through programs, mentorship, leadership development, community events, wellness, workforce readiness, school readiness, and spaces where youth and families feel seen. The Back-to-School Bash brought all of that together in one place.
A student receiving a backpack is part of the mission. A child getting a haircut before school is part of the mission. A young person performing on stage is part of the mission. A youth volunteer helping a family is part of the mission. A parent connecting with a wellness resource is part of the mission. A family feeling safe and celebrated in their own community is part of the mission. A young person seeing someone close to their age lead something this large is part of the mission.
This is what we mean when we say we are shaping tomorrow, one star at a time. Not just through words. Through action. Through service. Through leadership. Through community.
Thank You to Our Partners and Sponsors
This event would not have been possible without the support of people and organizations who believed in the vision and helped bring it to life.
We extend our deepest gratitude to our community partners:
Chicago Police 6th District Community Policing
Chicago Mayor’s Office of Community Safety
Pete’s Market
We are also grateful to our community sponsors:
Mielle Cares
1-800-Truck Wreck
University of Illinois Chicago
New Life Covenant Church
GEM Realty Capital
Thank you for investing in a youth-led vision and helping create a day that supported thousands of youth and families across Chicago. And to every volunteer, donor, partner, sponsor, performer, vendor, family, and community member who helped make this day possible: thank you.
Thank you for believing in our youth. Thank you for showing up for families. Thank you for being part of something bigger than one event.
This Is Only the Beginning
The 4th Annual Back-to-School Bash reminded us that Chicago Emerging Stars is growing. But more importantly, it reminded us why we must keep growing with intention. The need is real. The joy is real. The youth leadership is real. The community support is real. And the responsibility is real.
We are proud of what this event became, but we are even more focused on what comes next. More programs. More partnerships. More youth leadership. More resources. More opportunities. More spaces where young people and families feel seen, supported, prepared, and celebrated.
This was not just a back-to-school event. It was a reminder of what can happen when young people lead and community shows up. It was proof that a small beginning can grow into a movement. It was a day of backpacks, meals, haircuts, resources, performances, wellness, workforce connections, joy, and love.
But most of all, it was a day that said to Chicago youth and families: You matter. Your future matters. Your community believes in you.
And we are not done yet.
Chicago Emerging Stars
Shaping Tomorrow, One Star at a Time
