At North Lawndale College Prep, knitting is cool.

BT Lives in the Stitch teaches students how to knit and provides a space for knitters to hang out, find inner peace and build self esteem.

Knitting is not all that goes on at BT Lives in the Stitch. Here, under the click-clack of needles, there’s kindness, compassion and peace in every stitch. The club started as an after school activity, but became open to anyone interested in learning a new skill. It is also a social enterprise and students are paid for their creations, which are sold locally.

Learning and mastering skills are critical for developing self esteem, but the club also provides a place for students to belong to. Advisor Dorothea Tobin treats her students like they are her own children. When it came time to name the social enterprise, students voted to name it in honor of Dorothea’s late son, Billy Tobin.