Belonging and Culture

Where Belonging Grows is a series of experiences designed to bring people together, deepen understanding, and strengthen a culture where everyone feels seen, valued, and supported.

Our Social Inclusion - Where Belonging Grows, is a series of experiences about creating real moments of connection. When we gather with people whose experiences may be different from our own, we expand our perspective, build meaningful relationships, and help shape a community where belonging feels natural, not forced. New experiences will be added throughout the spring, so we encourage you to check back often and join us in this shared journey, where belonging truly grows.

We are proud to share that this initiative is supported by a Healing Illinois Grant, a racial healing initiative of the Illinois department of Human Services, in participation with the Field Foundation of Illinois. This funding helps make these social inclusion experiences possible and supports our ongoing commitment to connection and belonging.

Throughout the next few months, Girl Scouts will engage in exciting activities like:
  • Explore museums, cultural institutions, and community spaces.
  • Celebrate identity through art, cooking, music, and hands on cultural activities.
  • Engage in yoga, movement, and reflective practices that nurture well-being.
  • Develop leadership skills through writing, speaking, and creative expression.

Thanks to our incredible partners, together, we'll learn, connect, and celebrate what makes each of us unique. Join in the activities and share what belonging means to you!

The Heritage Museum of Asian Art is the only museum in the Midwest exclusively dedicated to exhibiting Asian art, and one of only three Asian art museums in the United States. Its collection spans diverse regions and historical periods, including jade carvings, pottery, bronzes, imperial porcelains, textiles, furniture, architectural components, and more.

The museum’s founder grew up in a working-class immigrant family in Chicago’s Chinatown in the 1940s–50s. His parents held labor-intensive jobs, and he began working at age 13 to help support the family. Though he had a deep love for Asian art, he had little access to it. That early gap inspired a lifelong commitment: to create a space where Asian art could be preserved, studied, and shared with people of all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Founded in 2014 in a small storefront on 23rd Street, the museum first displayed archaic Chinese jades, export silver, Han and Tang pottery, and classical furniture. In 2018, it expanded into an 18,000 sq ft building on 26th Street, adding galleries, a library, a theatre, and event spaces. Sustained primarily by collector donations, it operated as a display-focused institution. In late 2022, the museum moved into a rented space in Bridgeport with three galleries and a new vision. This marked a generational shift—from exhibition-only to a community-centered, engagement-driven institution.

In 2023, the museum launched its Educational and Community Engagement Initiative, offering field trips, free neighborhood nights, hands-on workshops, and special events. We’ve since hosted 120+ programs, welcoming over 5,000 visitors. Today, we are committed to becoming a vibrant platform for cultural exchange—not only within the Asian community, but across Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other communities through art, dialogue, and shared experiences.

The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is our nation’s oldest independent Black history museum, and a Smithsonian Institution affiliate. Founded in 1961, it is dedicated to the collection, documentation, preservation, study and dissemination of the history, art and culture of African Americans and of Black people worldwide. The DuSable Museum narrates stories and shares contributions that educate all people about Black excellence through exhibits, programs and special events.

 The Will County Historical Society exists so that people and organizations may be connected to the rich history of Will County, Illinois.

In 2019, with the help of WCHS Board Member Dr. Larry McClellan, the Illinois and Michigan Canal was designated as 1 of over 600 locations associated with the Underground Railroad associated with the National Park Service. 

*Proud partner with the National underground railroad network.

 

The mission of the Joliet Area Historical Museum is to promote awareness, understanding, and preservation of the Joliet area's diverse history.

Since its opening in the fall of 2002, the museum's main exhibition gallery serves as an introduction to the many stories of the Joliet area and its people.

The Lombard Historical Society endeavors to cultivate a deep appreciation and comprehension of our community's rich history. We encourage visitors to delve into our past through interactive exhibitions, educational programming, and gaining insights from our collections. We are committed to the preservation, interpretation, and celebration of Lombard's past, inspiring a vibrant and inclusive future. 

As the stewards of Lombard’s heritage, we will make the past meaningful to impact our community’s present and future.

Roberto Pérez is a chef, musician, and researcher of Afro-Caribbean traditions. He is one of the founding members of acclaimed Afro-Puerto Rican music group, Bomba con Buya, and the co-founder of educational culinary initiative, Urban Pilón. 

Urban Pilón is a culinary movement with a mission: to honor and preserve cooking traditions from Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Latin America, while using completely natural, healthy ingredients. With this mission in mind, Roberto serves not only as chef, but as storyteller, sharing the stories of our ancestors through his cooking, classes, and demonstrations. His popular Caribbean cooking courses showcase these stories by teaching both classic and original recipes along with the history behind them.

L'Oreal Thompson Payton is an award-winning journalist, an experienced communications executive, a motivational speaker, and a wellness facilitator, but above all else she is a writer.

Her bookstore, Zora’s Place, is on a mission to cultivate a vibrant space that centers Black women and femmes through literature, community, and wellness. We exist to amplify underrepresented voices, nourish our collective imagination, and remind you that you are not alone in your story.

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