CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) today announced the launch of the 2023 One Summer Chicago (OSC) application portal. OSC 2023 will provide in-person job and life-skills training for youth ages 14 to 24 over the summer months from June 26, 2023, to August 4, 2023. Thanks to Mayor Lightfoot’s continued investment in Chicago’s young people and youth programming, 2023 OSC participants will earn $15.40 an hour within all Chicago Departments. Young people can apply at OneSummerChicago.org until the June 2 deadline.  

“Young people across the city deserve to engage in safe, inspiring activities as well as paid opportunities for the time when they are not in school,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “One Summer Chicago invests in thousands of summer work experiences to support Chicago's youth, elevate their professional skills, and give them an opportunity to earn a paycheck. I'm proud to continue this program to empower our youth and prepare them for success.” 

The OSC 2023 portfolio will 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. The OSC portfolio of opportunities introduces young Chicagoans to the private, public, and nonprofit sectors through thousands of hands-on experiences in tech, healthcare, media, and more.  

“When you connect a young person to a job or a service opportunity, you are connecting them to their community,” said DFSS Commissioner Brandie Knazze. “OSC is investing in our communities by giving Chicago youth the chance to explore their interests, develop their passions, and build their own pathways to the future.” 

Coinciding with the application launch, DFSS has released “Coming Back Together: Summer of Healing, Love, and Celebration,” a new impact report highlighting the experiences and perspectives of last year’s participants. Results from this report’s youth-programming survey show that young people active in out-of-school programs felt more connected to their communities and more prepared for their futures. Top-level findings include: 

• Chicago youth completed 1.9 million hours of project-based learning and work experiences. 
• 20,544 OSC participants earned over $25M in wages last summer. 
• 93% of Summer Enrichment Programming participants felt the program gave them a safe space to be their true selves. 
• 88% of OSC participants feel more hopeful about their futures. 

Opportunities for Chicago youth ages 14 to 15 are also available through the Chicagobility workforce preparation program. Over the course of a 6-week period, young people will connect with public and private sector industries through site visits, trainings, and more — and will provide a weekly stipend, allowing young people to earn while they learn. 

The Chicago Youth Service Corps (CYSC), a year-round service-learning program, continues to welcome applicants. Since 2020, the program has helped young people connect with their communities through volunteer and community service opportunities. Previous participants have helped increase access to nutritious meals, address social and economic inequities, and more. Application is available at cysc.mychimyfuture.org.  

One Summer Chicago is an integral part of “My CHI. My Future.” (MCMF), Mayor Lightfoot’s signature youth-focused initiative designed to connect youth across Chicago to meaningful out-of-school experiences. The MCMF family, including One Summer Chicago, the Chicago Youth Service Corps, and more than 200 community-based organizations, is 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 regions to all fifteen, increasing accessibility to after-school programming.

More information on One Summer Chicago (Chicagobility and Summer Youth Employment Program) is available at OneSummerChicago.org.   

More information on CYSC is available at cysc.mychimyfuture.org.  

More information on MCMF is available at explore.mychimyfuture.org. 

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