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Mayor Brandon Johnson, DFSS Announce Rebranded "Chicago Youth Works" Youth Employment Initiative, Celebrate Kickoff of Summer Application Period

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CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) announced the launch of Chicago Youth Works, the City's rebranded youth employment initiative, as well as the kickoff of the 2026 application period for summer employment and career exploration opportunities for youth ages 14 to 24. The online application portal is now live and can be accessed by visiting ChicagoYouthWorks.org. The deadline to apply is May 29.

Previously known as One Summer Chicago, Chicago Youth Works is a collaborative youth employment program that partners with local businesses, nonprofits and city agencies to provide paid work experiences for young people. Available opportunities include paid career exploration programming for 14 and 15-year-olds, summer employment, and year-round employment.

Chicago's youth employment opportunities have seen significant expansion under Mayor Johnson, whose efforts to secure greater funding and broaden partnerships have resulted in more than a 55% increase in employment opportunities for young people since he took office. In 2025, 31,119 young people were hired for summer jobs.

"Young people are Chicago's future, and it's on us to give them the opportunities they need and deserve," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Chicago Youth Works goes beyond summer jobs, it offers real-world experience, leadership development, and a chance for young Chicagoans to make a difference in their communities. By empowering tens of thousands of young people across our city, we're investing in Chicago's strength, resilience and future."

As the City has worked to rebrand the youth employment initiative in recent months, staff ensured that youth voices, insights, and interests were part of each step of the ideation and selection process. Local youth themselves proposed the name "Chicago Youth Works" and the new program tagline — "Get Paid. Get Skilled. Get Ahead." — and played a role in the review and decision-making process around the initiative's new visual designs.

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The result is a reinvigorated program identity that honors both the City's hardworking youth and the significantly expanded reach of the second-largest city-run youth employment program in the nation.

"The youth of Chicago are ready for that chance to grow and succeed," said DFSS Commissioner Angela Green. "We see it in the fantastic stories of their work experiences with us each summer, and we see it in the trajectory of their careers after building valuable foundations and connections with us. We are deeply proud to have expanded these opportunities under the Johnson administration and to have now reimagined the City's youth employment branding in a way that puts youth front and center and truly reflects their perspectives and creative vision."

In 2025, across all employment partners, youth employment participants completed 2.84 million hours of work experience and project-based learning and collectively earned over 30.9 million in wages. 92% of youth who completed the OSC youth impact survey said, "I learned new work skills," and 95% felt that their program "helped them feel safe at work."

As one 2025 participant told us, one way their summer youth employment opportunity positively impacted them was by helping them grow their confidence.

"It wasn't just about having a job," the participant said. "I got to learn how to be part of a team, communicate better, and take on responsibilities that actually mattered. It made me feel more prepared for the future and showed me that I'm capable of more than I thought."

Another 2025 participant said their experience helped them feel better equipped to enter the job market.

"One way that youth employment positively impacted me was by helping me build confidence in a real work environment," said the enrollee. "Before the program, I was nervous about speaking up or taking initiative, but through team projects, workshops, and supportive mentors, I learned how to communicate better, manage my time, and believe in what I bring to the table. It gave me a glimpse of what it's like to be a professional and made me feel more prepared for the future."

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The top five communities with the most hires last year include two West Side and three South Side neighborhoods, with Austin leading the way at 1,892 hires. The City tracked double-digit declines in shootings and homicides in the communities where the largest number of youth were hired.

Community Area Number of Hires Shooting Decrease —

Summer 2024 to Summer 2025 		Homicide Decrease —

Summer 2024 to Summer 2025
Austin 1,829 -30.8% -30.4%
Auburn Gresham 976 -28.6% -66.7%
Roseland 966 -39.3% -100%
South Shore 892 -25.5% -37.5%
North Lawndale 867 -50.6% -66.7%

Chicago Youth Works is managed by the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), which serves as the data hub for the program. The Mayor's Office of Education and Youth Services (EDYS) also provides direct support. In addition, many hiring partners help make this initiative possible, including Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Housing Authority, the Chicago Transit Authority, City Colleges of Chicago, After School Matters and the Chi-Cook Workforce Partnership.

Chicago Youth Works offers three key programs:

Chicago Youth Service Corps (CYSC): A year-round program employing youth ages 16 to 24 that focuses on leadership development and civic engagement.

Chicagobility: Engages youth ages 14 and 15 in project-based learning and skill-building experiences.

Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP): Provides job placements and training opportunities for youth ages 16 to 24 to build skills and gain career experience. Summer youth employment opportunities occur over a minimum of six weeks and this year will start in June and end in late July or early August, depending on the employer.

"Our youth know what we know: these experiences can be lifechanging and lead to future employment pathways," said DFSS Deputy Commissioner of Youth Services Kathy Cullick. "DFSS is grateful to all of the corporate, nonprofit, and public sector partners who make this possible for Chicago's young people."

For more information or to apply to a Chicago Youth Works program, visit ChicagoYouthWorks.org.

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