Enhanced VolunteerOUR MISSION
True Star was founded in 2004 by DeAnna McLeary-Sherman and Na-Tae’ Thompson. Driven by their desire to improve the lives of Chicago youth, and fueled by the tremendous needs of young people living in underserved communities, McLeary-Sherman and Thompson developed a multi-media organization with youth at the helm. The primary goal of the first True Star program was to improve writing skills for young people, and it soon grew to encompass media arts and youth development. Since its formation in 2007, that initial program has transitioned from a newsletter to a magazine and now a digital media company that annually serves over 5,000 young people in under-resourced communities.