Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Releases Youth Impact Report, Highlighting Year of Historic Youth Employment and Engagement
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CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Johnson released the Youth Impact Report 2024, showcasing a landmark year of investment, opportunity, and empowerment for Chicago's young people. The report outlines how, under the Johnson administration, the City of Chicago has implemented bold strategies that have significantly expanded employment, educational, and civic engagement opportunities for young Chicagoans across all 77 community areas.

"We are proud of the work we have done over this past year, outlined in this report," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "We need to take what we learned from this year and double down on our investments in young people in the coming years. The need is urgent and the time is now. My hope is that we can build on this work, expand our partnerships, and ultimately build a city where every young person has the resources and opportunities that they need to succeed."

"There's no going back," added Mayor Johnson. "Chicago has set a new standard for what it looks like to prioritize youth, and together, we'll continue to lift up our young people in every part of our city."

Since taking office in May 2023, Mayor Johnson has made youth investment a cornerstone of his administration, pledging to create more jobs, elevate youth voices, and deepen community-based opportunities. The standout accomplishments in 2024 highlighted in this report include:

• 106,860 youth served through the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS)'s 18 program models;
• 155 youth-focused "kickback" events planned by youth throughout the city through the My CHI. My Future. (MCMF) Safe Spaces program, attended by more than 16,750 Chicagoans;
• 97% of youth employees agreed that participating in the kickbacks made them feel closer to their communities;
• Over 2,000 year-round youth jobs created through DFSS programs like Safe Spaces and the Chicago Youth Service Corps;
• My CHI. My Future. platform connected over 50,000 youth to more than 45,000 opportunities;
• The Peacekeeper Pilot program, in collaboration with GoodKids MadCity, employed 100 youth to receive training and promote safety in their communities;
• The DSS Laborer's Trainee Pilot provided 70 recent CPS graduates with hands-on job training; 55 were hired full-time into union roles.

"This year was a transformative step forward for our work around youth engagement," said Khari Humphries, Acting Deputy Mayor for Education, Youth, and Human Services. "We created jobs, elevated youth leadership, and built real infrastructure around youth voice. Our strategy revolves around putting young people at the center so that they can design the spaces and services that work for them."

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The report highlights the voices and experiences of young people as they engaged with a wide variety of programs. "Being part of the Safe Spaces Kickbacks made me feel more connected to where I live," said Jasmin R., a 17-year-old participant from Auburn Gresham. "I learned how to lead, how to speak up, and how to uplift my community. It helped me see what's possible."

Transformational Progress in Youth Employment

On his first day in office, Mayor Johnson signed Executive Order 2023-15, directing an increase in funding to expand employment opportunities for young Chicagoans. This initiative focuses on fostering collaboration across City departments, sister agencies, and community partners to enhance both summer and year-round job opportunities for individuals ages 14–24, including high school students, college students, young parents, heads of households and individuals just starting their career journey.

In July 2024, World Business Chicago, in partnership with the City of Chicago, hosted two career exposure opportunities for seventy 16-18 year-olds, providing engagement with employers in manufacturing, creative and hospitality industries.

Through prioritizing investing in youth employment and building collaborative partnerships across sectors, 27,793 young people were hired through One Summer Chicago last summer, a 15% increase over 2023 and a 39% increase from 2022. This year, Mayor Johnson aims to expand the youth employment program even further, with an ambitious goal of hiring 29,000 young people, which would represent a 45% increase from 2022.

Standout Programs

The report highlights standout programs for young Chicagoans, spearheaded under the Johnson administration, including:

Inclusive Summer Jobs Expo

In partnership with DFSS, the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) gave teens and young adults with disabilities and their families an opportunity in a supportive environment to apply for One Summer Chicago and meet with City departments who were hiring. Attendees were also able to access other job- and career-related resources, attracting 190 attendees and their families to this event.

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DSS Laborer's Trainee Pilot

The Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS), in collaboration with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Mayor's Office, launched a 12-week training program for 70 recent CPS graduates. In addition to hands-on training, participants also received union cards, offering a pathway to stable employment in the workforce. 55 of 70 DSS Trainee Program graduates were hired into full-time roles within DSS.

Peacekeeper Pilot

In partnership with GoodKids MadCity and DFSS, a 6-week training program was launched for 100 youth between the ages of 16-24. This initiative provided training for young people to become Peacekeepers, empowering them to foster safety and positive change within their communities.

Mayor Johnson's My CHI. My Future. Micro-Grant Program

Mayor Johnson's Micro-Grant Program distributed a total of $600,000 in small grants from DFSS to community-based organizations serving the 15 MCMF Community Strategy Regions. These grants provided funding for safe and engaging programs implemented by community-based organizations for youth ages 6- 24 in their communities. Funded programs included jazz jam sessions, mural painting, restorative justice circles, trades mentorships, a mental health basketball series, and more.

For More Information

Download the full Youth Impact Report 2024 and learn how you or your organization can get involved here.

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