Grandmother's organization helps introduce at-risk youth to their city

Crystal Dyer Photo credit Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures

By Rob Hart

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — This week's Difference Maker is a woman who teaches kids about the world outside their neighborhood.

Crystal Dyer is the executive director of Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures. She founded it in 2015 in honor of her grandson, who was a victim of gun violence.

The organization’s goal is to help at-risk teenagers see the world outside of their neighborhood.

“Some of them had even graduated from high school already and had never seen the Chicago River,” Dyer told WBBM Newsradio.

Her group takes teenagers on field trips around Chicago — to museums, cultural institutions and other places that tell the story of Chicago and the people who live here.

The organization is more than just travel. A volunteer network of mentors work with the teenagers to teach a valuable lesson: that they do have the skills to succeed.