In this study, the influence of chemical strengthening on the mechanical behavior and deformation mechanisms of soda lime silicate glass at the microscopic level is investigated. Understanding the deformation mechanisms is significant because the plastic mechanisms in glass play an important role in the deformation behavior at crack tips allowing us to more accurately predict the mechanical behavior of glass. It is also important in understanding the strain-rate sensitivity (SRS) of the glass, which is currently not well understood. Additionally, while the strengthening effects of ion-exchange on macroscale components are well-documented, its effects on microscale elements remain unexplored. In this work we explicitly address this gap by chemically strengthening microscale glass powder particles and testing them.Utilizing nanoindentation and Cooperative Shearing Model theory, we assessed plastic behavior changes in both as-received and chemically strengthened (CS) glass samples, focusing on shear transformation zones (STZs). Parameters such as STZ volume, activation energy, barrier energy density, and strain rate sensitivity (SRS) were analyzed. Our findings indicate that CS samples exhibit larger STZ volumes and higher activation energies, coupled with reduced SRS values, suggesting a dependency of SRS on changes in free volume relative to STZ volume changes. Furthermore, we studied the mechanical strengthening behavior by developing a microscale chemical strengthening method for glass particles. The strengthening mechanics and the influence of processing parameters on fracture strength were found using particle compression tests and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy scans. The results demonstrate a notable increase in fracture strength with decreased ion penetration, reflecting variations in residual stress linked to the average ion concentration.