16. Restorative Connections to Ancestral Practices w/ Sandra Sosa

After years of doing Youth Development work all throughout Chicago, Sandra Sosa is currently a member of the Social Justice and Well-being team with the W. Haywood Burns Institute. Born and raised in the Little Village Community of Chicago, IL, Sandra Sosa’s social justice philosophy and approach to community development weaves ancestral teachings and rites of passage work together with modern youth development practices.  Her personal journey began as a rites of passage recipient and mentor with Youth Struggling for Survival and since then she has grounded her work in ancestral teachings, which nurture each individual to take their own contributions into account and to develop themselves into changing behaviors unbecoming of a healthier and harmonious way of life. 

Sandra is the first generation middle daughter of her Mexican parents, is fluent in both Spanish and English, and recently began learning her native language of Nahuatl.  She graduated from Northern Illinois University with an award as Outstanding Woman. Sandra continues to use her experiences, knowledge, and skills to work with building the capacity of adults to strengthen positive relationships with children and youth.

Learn more about her work @ https://burnsinstitute.org