The University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab, in collaboration with Chicago’s leading community-based organizations serving young people, have released Every Choice Has Opportunity (ECHO), a free, evidence-informed curriculum designed to help service providers guide young people to make better decisions when faced with difficult situations.
The ECHO curriculum, designed to be accessible to community-based practitioners regardless of clinical credentials, targets organizations, educators, and practitioners working with school-aged youth at elevated risk of gun violence and other serious challenges. It aims to provide life-changing skill-building opportunities that help young people build practical skills for handling stress, forming healthy relationships, navigating difficult environments, and creating positive futures.
“Many of the biggest risks to young people in the U.S. – criminal justice involvement, violence, drug use, car crashes, school dropout – stem from in-the-moment decisions people often go on to regret. The good news is that it’s possible to teach young people to avoid predictable decision-making traps in ways that make their lives better through cognitive behavioral interventions,” said Roseanna Ander, Founding Executive Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab.
The curriculum draws on insights from over two decades of research demonstrating that cognitive behavioral interventions can drastically reduce young people’s involvement in the criminal justice system, keep them safe from gun violence, increase school engagement, and alleviate mental health conditions. This kind of skill building holds the potential to combat the so-called “deaths of decision-making”—tragic losses to violence, suicide, or overdose—that plague teenagers across the country and around the world.
ECHO is modularized, allowing program providers to flexibly incorporate the curriculum into existing services or to use it as a new, standalone programming component. Unlike many traditional cognitive behavioral programs that can be hard to scale due to specialized staffing needs, ECHO can be delivered by organizations using their own staff—promoting broad accessibility and adaptability.
"As somebody who's been working in the field for so long, there's really nothing out there that is anything like ECHO,” said Vero Ortiz, Senior Director of Community Wellness at Enlace Chicago and a co-developer of the curriculum. "The fact that this is outsourced freely to the community is going to impact the quality of services that young people receive.”
Co-designed by University of Chicago researchers, local practitioners, and young people, ECHO reflects a trauma-informed philosophy and is built on the expertise of clinicians, outreach workers, and youth development experts from organizations including Breakthrough Enlace, Chicago Cred, UCAN, Metropolitan Family Services, Youth Advocate Programs, Brightpoint, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, Youth Guidance, Youth Peace Centers, Noble Schools, and Roca.
During the 2025–26 school year, ECHO was piloted at three Noble Schools in Chicago. Campus deans, culture and social work teams were trained in curriculum modules and delivery techniques. Staff from these pilot schools report that students find the new material both relatable and engaging, and that it is helping them build practical skills to manage stress and make better choices.
ECHO is made possible through support from the Sue Ling Gin Foundation and the Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation and is provided free of charge as part of a commitment to scaling effective violence prevention interventions.
A webinar on Thursday, April 2 will provide an in-depth look at the research behind ECHO, the approach to creating it, and an overview of resources and tips to get started with using the curriculum. The event will also include a panel discussion featuring youth-serving program providers who will share their experiences bringing ECHO to life. Register here.