Improv as Empowerment: How Second City is Forging Chicago's Next Leaders

CHICAGO, IL – March 25, 2026 – In a city renowned for its comedy stages, The Second City is taking its most foundational art form—improvisation—and using it for a purpose that extends far beyond the spotlight. The legendary comedy institution, in partnership with the Funny Girls™ leadership program, has opened applications for its second annual Chicago cohort, offering a no-cost, improv-based leadership program designed to empower girls and gender-expansive youth across the city.

The initiative targets students in grades 3 through 8, a critical period of identity formation, transforming classrooms and community centers into what organizers call "playful leadership labs." Building on the success of its inaugural year, the program will once again dispatch The Second City's trained teaching artists to guide young participants through a curriculum that is less about punchlines and more about building personal pipelines to confidence, collaboration, and self-expression.

From Punchlines to Pipelines: Improv as a Leadership Lab

At the heart of the Funny Girls™ program is the belief that the core tenets of improvisation are also the building blocks of effective leadership. Through exercises grounded in the famous "Yes, And" principle, students learn to build on each other's ideas, embrace creative risks, and view mistakes not as failures but as opportunities for discovery. What looks like simple play is, in fact, a structured practice in social-emotional learning (SEL), designed to strengthen self-awareness, empathy, and resilience.

This work is particularly vital for youth between the ages of 8 and 14, a developmental stage where studies show a significant drop in confidence, especially among girls. Funny Girls™ aims to directly counteract this "confidence gap" by creating a supportive environment where participants can find and strengthen their voices. Laughter becomes the catalyst for growth, helping students trust their instincts and support one another in a collaborative setting. The skills honed here—active listening, quick thinking, and empathetic connection—are designed to be transferable, equipping students for challenges in the classroom, in their relationships, and in future leadership roles.

"Chicago is where improv's educational roots took hold, making it the perfect home for this work," said Jenny Raymond, Executive Director of The Harnisch Foundation, which originally developed the Funny Girls™ program in 2015. "Launching a second cohort here allows us to deepen local partnerships and ensure even more girls have access to leadership experiences that are playful, affirming, and transformative."

The Enduring Legacy of Play: A Nod to Viola Spolin

The program’s methodology is not a recent invention but rather a modern application of a century-old pedagogical philosophy. Its roots trace back to the 1930s and the pioneering work of Viola Spolin, often called the "mother of improvisational theater." At Jane Addams' Hull House in Chicago, Spolin developed her "Theater Games" not to train professional actors, but to help immigrant children from diverse backgrounds communicate, build trust, and work together, even when they didn't share a common language.

Spolin believed that play was the key to unlocking genuine human connection and fostering discovery in a non-judgmental environment. Her games were designed to bypass the self-conscious ego and tap into a person's intuitive, collaborative nature. This philosophy became the bedrock of The Second City's own educational workshops in its early days and continues to guide its approach today. Funny Girls™ is a direct descendant of this lineage, blending Spolin’s evidence-based principles of experiential learning with a contemporary SEL framework. It proves that the same techniques that foster connection and problem-solving on stage can be powerful tools for personal development off stage.

A Strategic Partnership for Social Impact

The continuation of the Chicago Funny Girls™ cohort highlights a powerful model of social impact, built on a three-way partnership. The Harnisch Foundation, which has invested in women's leadership for decades, provides the foundational curriculum and crucial funding that makes the program entirely free for participants. Funny Girls™ offers the specialized, proven leadership curriculum, and The Second City brings its world-class teaching artists and deep institutional knowledge of improvisation.

This collaboration represents a strategic expansion for The Second City, now in its 67th year. It allows the institution to leverage its unique artistic heritage for broader community benefit, reinforcing its role not just as an entertainment hub but as a vital civic and educational resource. By investing its talent in youth development, the organization is extending its brand into the realm of social good and educational innovation, demonstrating how arts organizations can play a pivotal role in addressing societal needs.

"We've seen how improvisation helps young people connect more deeply with themselves and each other," noted Julie Dumais Osborne, Vice President of Training Centers at The Second City. "Continuing this work in Chicago allows us to expand access to transformative leadership experiences across the city, building on The Second City's more than 65-year commitment to empowering the next generation of comedy."

Cultivating Chicago's Future Voices

With applications now open, the program invites a wide range of partners to bring this unique opportunity to their communities. Public and private schools, after-school enrichment programs, and community-based organizations serving girls and gender-expansive youth in grades 3-8 are all eligible to apply. The program is designed to be flexible, adapting to the needs of each partner site to create a supportive and playful environment.

Participating institutions receive the fully funded curriculum, instruction from The Second City's teaching artists, and resources for educators to help sustain the program's impact, all at no cost. This removes financial barriers and ensures equitable access to high-quality leadership training across Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. While several youth development programs operate in the city, the Funny Girls™ initiative stands out for its specific focus, its direct connection to world-renowned improv professionals, and its deep pedagogical roots.

The next cohort is set to begin in September 2026. As the program enters its second year in Chicago, it continues to build on a simple yet profound premise: that by teaching young people to say "Yes, And" to each other's ideas in a safe and supportive space, we can empower them to become the confident, creative, and empathetic leaders the future will require. Priority consideration will be given to applications submitted by April 30, 2026.