Tyra | The Community Organizer
An active member of the historical Quinn Chapel AME, Tyra asks a question during a recent town hall sponsored by Illinois State Senator Mattie Hunter and colleagues. 
Tyra serving as a panelist at the 2019 Afterschool Development Conference hosted by Afterschool All-Stars 
Fall 2018 Lunch & Learn: “A Reflection on 30 Years of Youth Development in Cabrini Green” guests and GCYC staff 
Diasporal Discoveries youth and adults wrap up lunch at Sweet Potatoes Sensations in Detroit 
Serving as guest panelist for “Every Other Friday” Networking Series powered by Corey Jenkins and GCYC youth 
A writer, community organizer and program evaluator, Tyra Owens, is dedicated to building and strengthening community. She has worked in youth development—both in schools and in the out-of-school-time arena—for ten years. Her career began with the Chicago Housing Authority non-profit arm, Windows of Opportunity as a teacher and coordinator for their summer and afterschool programs.
She worked for Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) as the Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE) organizer where she developed groups of youth leaders in Bronzeville who wrote and advocated for their own legislation such as the Campaign for Common Sense Discipline, a bill that would be successfully passed by the Illinois legislature in 2015.
Her passion for helping youth and emerging adults develop as professionals led her to the housing development corporation, The Community Builders where she increased job readiness by 80% and job placement by 30% in their workforce development program at TCB’s Oakley Square site.
In her previous role at Gary Comer Youth Center, Tyra served as the Community Resource Manager to design innovative experiences that bridge cultural gaps between communities. Past events have included the “Bridging the Gap” Series that created safe spaces for intergenerational conversations around the Black family dynamic, Black youth in conversation with the 003rd District Chicago Police Department officers. As the convener of the GCYC Coalition for Safe & Healthy Teens, Tyra also curated “The Youth Practitioner’s Lunch & Learn” to serve as an avenue for the professional development of youth workers across the city.
Due to the pandemic, her most recent in-person large-scale convening, a partnership with family planning agency, The Cradle, took place in December 2019. The “Developing Empowered Black Boys” panel discussion worked to help youth development professionals understand how Black males experience various forms of racism during adolescence. Guest panelists were Black male founders and leaders of nonprofit organizations such as CHAMPS Male Mentoring program, Greater Chatham Initiative, and Safe & Sound Connect.
Tyra looks forward to continuing work that celebrates youth, emerging adults and the practitioners who service them in her current role as the Assistant Director of Student Success at North Park University. For more information, please email Tyra at: towens2@northpark.edu.
Tyra | The Poet
“Poetry is at the center of me. So I freak letters and words to birth imagery in hopes that its conception delivers more meaning to my reality. More simply, I write; I influence; I love and this is my marvelous testimony.” (2011)
I have always loved listening to other people’s stories. When I was younger, I enjoyed conducting interviews and I even studied journalism and sociology in college to explore people’s lives and worlds.
Yet, there is something about my poetry and this website that forces me to share my own story, my hopes, and occasionally, even my fears.
My goal has always been to connect people to great stories and to build community. As you read my words, I hope you can take something from my experiences that encourages you to slay your next dream.
This is a safe space to comment on content, so please share your thoughts and related stories on posts.
—Sincerely, Tyra
#SlayTheDream
For booking information, email: info@sincerelytyra.com.