Who We Are
Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative (SGLAI) provides incarcerated and criminalized youth with immersive experiences in the visual, literary, and musical arts. Through mentorship and creative production opportunities, young people are empowered to become the authors of their own stories. Our programs foster resilience, self-determination, and practical skills, helping participants make positive, informed choices for their futures.
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SGLAI was founded in April 2021 by award-winning teaching artist Elgin Bokari Smith to continue his work in bringing high-quality arts programs to incarcerated youth. These programs include Stomping Grounds Open Stage (est. 2017), which provides a platform for creative expression, and Pocket Con (est. 2011), an annual comic convention highlighting artists and characters of color, held in partnership with the Chicago Public Library.
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Our mission builds on Elgin's decade-long experience providing arts workshops inside juvenile detention centers as a former lead curriculum designer and program director for Free Write Arts & Literacy (FW). After Free Write’s dissolution in 2021, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) and the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (CCJTDC) requested Elgin continue delivering these vital resources to youth. With the support of Resilience Partners, our fiscal sponsor, SGLAI is preparing to expand our programs and return to classrooms in juvenile facilities.
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Our work helps youth heal from adverse experiences, engage with creative communities, and contribute to conversations around policy and public discourse through their own narratives. SGLAI partners with legal, cultural, youth service, and grassroots organizations to build a network of communities that value the voices and lives of incarcerated and criminalized young people, focusing on dismantling the juvenile incarceration system.
SGLAI operates across Chicago’s community spaces, online creative networks, and juvenile detention facilities, offering young people the chance to grow personally, build connections, and access creative opportunities.
