The City is accepting applications today for the more than 30,000 positions that will help youth gain valuable work experience while providing critical support resources

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the City of Chicago will begin accepting applications for the more than 30,000 jobs and internship opportunities available through the One Summer Chicago Program. The program helps youth, ages 14 to 24, gain valuable work experience while providing critical support resources. The application is available through May 21 at www.onesummerchicago.org

“One Summer Chicago provides more than a job. It’s a first paycheck, a first line on a resume, a first mentor and provides a path for future success,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. “The skills youth develop during the summer are life skills they will carry with them long after the program has ended and I encourage everyone to sign up today.”

The 2018 One Summer Chicago program will run July 2 through August 10. Opportunities range from infrastructure jobs and camp counselors; to urban agriculture and outdoor forestry projects; to office work and private sector experience.

New to OSC this year is CHICAGOBILITY, a program model for younger youth ages 14 -15.

CHICAGOBILITY is a foundational track into career exploration, self-discovery and self-awareness, which allows youth to develop their skills for employment. The youth will design and deliver a six-week program, guided by a curriculum, with a focus on the following areas: community contribution, beautification and sustainability and/or safety through youth-driven projects. Youth will participate for 15-20 hours per week for six weeks in activities that strengthen their community, build civic engagement and create safe neighborhoods.

“The Mayor’s One Summer Chicago program teaches youth the essential skills that they need to succeed in career and in life,” said Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Commissioner Lisa Morrison Butler. “This is why we are excited about CHICAGOBILITY and its focus on our younger youth and starting them down the career path as early as possible.”

Returning programs include One Summer Chicago Plus and the Summer Youth Employment Program.

One Summer Chicago Plus is a specialized violence prevention summer workforce program for high-need youth, ages 16 - 21, who reside in the highest risk communities. Recruited worksites will provide youth with a safe, well-defined experience that allows them to gain valuable work readiness skills.

Last summer, the University of Chicago Urban Labs study found by providing a summer job, through the One Summer Chicago Plus program reduced the number of violent-crime arrests for participants by 33 percent over the subsequent year.

The Citi Foundation is returning to One Summer Chicago for its fifth year in a row, with funding that has totaled over $4.5 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 state-wide program designed to employ out of school youth.

“Summer jobs provide young people with the opportunity to develop workplace skills and gain experience managing their paycheck at an early point in their working lives,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation. “Our continued collaboration with Mayor Emanuel and the CFE Fund will connect more Chicago youth with a summer job experience. We’ve learned tremendously from our partners and youth participants over the course of four years and look forward to continuing to work together.”

Under the Mayor’s leadership, the city has steadily increased its investment every year in mentoring and other youth programs to address some of the most urgent needs facing the city: keeping youth safe, improving school outcomes and reducing crime. In the past seven years alone, One Summer Chicago has more than doubled to meet the overwhelming demand for these programs, serving more than 160,000 youth to date with valuable job training and work experiences.

About One Summer Chicago:

One Summer Chicago is a partnership with the following agencies/organizations to hire and place youth in meaningful summer work experiences.

Department of Family and Support Services, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago City Colleges, Chicago Public Libraries, Cook County Workforce Partnership, Forest Preserve, Mayor’s Office of People With Disabilities, Chicago Park District, Chicago Department of Transportation, Department of Streets and Sanitation, After School Matters, Lincoln Park Zoo