Thousands of summer jobs coming for youths

Lightfoot unveils One Summer Chicago 2022

From staff reports

Mayor Lightfoot and several City departments and agencies have announced a variety of summer youth programming, including the 2022 One Summer Chicago (OSC) application. OSC 2022 will run from July 5 to Aug. 12 and marks the return of in-person job and life-skills training for youth ages 14 to 24.

Young people may apply at OneSummerChicago.org up until the June 10 deadline.

The OSC 2022 portfolio is designed to support young people as they participate in career exploration opportunities and strengthen their own neighborhoods, providing positive summer activities that support individual and community growth.

Young people engaged in One Summer Chicago internships and employment are found in a wide array of settings, from stargazing at the Adler Planetarium to more earthy endeavors like community gardening. – Supplied photo

Of the youth surveyed last year, 87% reported strengthening their skills and abilities.

One Summer Chicago will provide thousands of young people the opportunity to receive hands-on experience in technology, healthcare, media, finance and more, with a range of private, public and nonprofit partners.

OSC participants this year will earn $15 an hour within all Chicago departments.

OSC’s signature Summer Youth Employment Program, employing young people ages 16-24 in subsidized employment opportunities, helps young people build financial capabilities and employable skills through opportunities like an iOS Training Program, an introduction to Augmented Reality and more.

Also returning under the One Summer Chicago umbrella is the Chicagobility career exploration program for young people ages 14 and 15. Over a six-week period, young people will connect with public and private sector industries through project-based learning, workshops and more. The opportunities will also provide a weekly stipend up to $450 for the duration of the summer, allowing young people to earn while they learn.

Through a $29.3M investment, the Chicago Youth Service Corps (CYSC), a civic leadership program, is expanding from a six-week summer program to operate year-round. In 2021, young people addressed housing insecurity, social and economic inequities and more. More than 80 percent of CYSC participants in 2021 said they had made a real impact in their communities. The application is available at OneSummerChicago.org.

Other opportunities announced this week included those through the Chicago Parks District, Chicago Public Libraries, City Colleges of Chicago and more.

The Chicago Park District will have youth and adult employment opportunities including camp counselors and lifeguards. With more than eight different programs, including Teen Camps, Rolling’ Rec and Summer Teen Leagues, as well as hiring for summer staff with a focus on hiring summer lifeguards.

The Citi Foundation is continuing to support OSC for its ninth year in a row, with funding that has totaled over $7 million. The Summer Jobs Connect program, spearheaded by the Citi Foundation and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, supports young adults seeking summer employment and provides safe and appropriate banking products, services and education. Citi Foundation is also the largest private funder of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), a citywide program designed to employ out-of-school youth.

One Summer Chicago is an integral part of “My CHI. My Future.” (MCMF), Lightfoot’s signature youth-focused initiative designed to connect youth across Chicago to meaningful out-of-school experiences. The MCMF family, inclusive of One Summer Chicago, the Chicago Youth Service Corps and more than 250 community-based organizations, are focused on strengthening the opportunity ecosystem in Chicago and galvanizing caring adults, all over the city, to ensure that every young person is connected to a meaningful opportunity. This year, the initiative will be expanding from five community areas to 15, increasing accessibility to after-school programming.