Students invited to ‘rewire the way you connect’ — at first Naperville Possibility Festival

KidsMatter, Alive Center, Inside Out Club, and Go Brewing collaborating to plan one of four Possibility Festivals nationwide

The goal is simple: to teach participants what life is all about and why connection is such an important piece of the equation. The event, scheduled to take place outside at Naperville’s Central Park, 104 E. Benton Ave., is  being supported by KidsMatter, the Alive Center for Teens and Inside Out Club, along with Go Brewing.

“At the Alive Center, our mission is to empower teens to ‘Come Alive’ as they discover their passions, find belonging, and become confident, resilient leaders. The Possibility Festival embodies this perfectly, creating an environment where high school and college students can experience genuine connection and truly come alive,” said Amanda McMillen, LCSW, Executive Director of the Alive Center. “We’re thrilled to partner with KidsMatter, Inside Out Club and Go Brewing to bring this transformative event to our community.”

Following an idea brought to Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli’s mental health team by Joe Chura, founder of Go Brewing — a Naperville-based nonalcoholic brewing company — the event aims to help participants rewire the way they connect to counteract isolation and build mental well-being. Chura attended the first Possibility Festival and is working with the partnering nonprofits to bring a similarly groundbreaking and inspiring event to Naperville.

“I began the day at the Possibility Festival without knowing what to expect and left completely inspired, having gained new skills and techniques to manage challenges that I and many others face today.” Chura said. “So much so that I worked with the event’s founder to explore how I can bring it closer to home, knowing how many people could benefit from this completely FREE resource.”

Both days of the festival, students will engage in activities designed — and studied — to create a true recalibration of the social and emotional systems in participants’ minds, shifting the ways they experience connection. The organizers are grateful to be involved in planning and hosting the event because of its focus on improving mental wellness and helping participants feel inspired to become the very best version of themselves.

“The Naperville Possibility Festival is a wonderful opportunity for students who want to experience new friendships, engaging activities and a weekend designed to build meaningful connections,” said Nina Menis, CEO & Executive Director of KidsMatter. “Together with our partners, we’re excited to offer this amazing event for high school and college students in our community.”

Registration for the Naperville Possibility Festival is open now, available at possibilityfestival.com/registration-form.

Along with participants, who will experience two days of activities rooted in modern connection science, KidsMatter, the Alive Center and Inside Out Club also have recruited about 20 young people to serve as volunteers during the event.

“At Inside Out Club, we believe kids and teens develop the essential character skills they need to thrive in life, school and future careers through authentic, hands-on and meaningful experiences,” said Marion Ruthig, Founder and Executive Director of Inside Out Club. “That’s why we’re so excited to help bring the Possibility Festival to Naperville and engage teen volunteers in helping lead an experience designed to build meaningful connections and inspire young people to become the best version of themselves.”

To learn more about the Possibility Festival, which is also scheduled for Raleigh, North Carolina; Providence, Rhode Island; and Valparaiso, Indiana this fall, visit possibilityfestival.com.

To learn more about KidsMatter, visit kidsmatter2us.org. For details about the Alive Center, visit alivecenter.org/. For details about Inside Out Club, insideoutclub.org/. For more about Go Brewing, visit gobrewing.com/.

About KidsMatter: Recognized as Naperville’s proactive, youth-oriented human services organization, KidsMatter’s mission is to build resilient kids who say “no” to destructive choices and “yes” to endless possibilities. Established in 2001, and now celebrating its 25th year, KidsMatter empowers kids to realize their purpose, know their value, and discover their pathway through programs addressing youth mental health, leadership development and career exploration. A leader among nonprofits, KidsMatter harnesses the power of partnerships to help young people build developmental assets, including positive values, healthy relationships and self-esteem. KidsMatter has been highlighted by NBC 5 Chicago’s Making a Difference in 2024 for providing Youth Mental Health First Aid courses and by CBS News Chicago in 2023 for the Kindness Counts Campaign. With programming focused on preventing problems in the lives of youth before they start — and an extensive network of parents, educators and resources — KidsMatter equips youth and families with essential tools to manage the societal pressures and stresses of everyday life.

About Go Brewing: Go Brewing is a Chicagoland-based non-alcoholic brewery founded by Joe Chura, a technology entrepreneur and former automotive industry executive who applied his experience scaling businesses to build the #1 fastest-growing brewery in the United States (+116% growth, Brewers Association, 2026). Go Brewing is now in nearly 10,000 locations nationwide, among the top N.A. beers on Amazon, and serves hundreds of thousands of customers with millions of beers made. The company produces a full range of non-alcoholic craft beers and other beverages designed to deliver on flavor and ritual, specifically brewed so you always Remember Tomorrow. The company is currently pushing the boundaries of what N.A. beer could be, in partnership with Dan Churchill, and counts ultra-endurance athlete and bestselling author Rich Roll and Olympian, filmmaker, and actor Alexi Pappas among its strategic partners, alongside others across performance and culture. Visit gobrewing.com for more.