Chicago Youth Programs Generate $30.9M in Summer Earnings

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) has released its 2025 Summer Youth Impact Report, highlighting the achievements of citywide youth initiatives focused on employment, education, and violence prevention. The report coincides with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Protecting Chicago Budget, which proposes continued funding for these programs through a new Community Safety Surcharge.

According to DFSS, participants in the city’s youth programs completed over 2.84 million hours of job training and project-based learning this summer. Collectively, they earned $30.9 million, averaging $1,815 per participant aged 16–24.

“Today’s report is a testament to what we can accomplish when we provide our city’s young people the resources they need to succeed,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By coming together to fund programs that ensure young Chicagoans are gaining new skills through first-hand job experience, we’re building brighter futures for our youth and the communities they call home.”

Commissioner Angela Green celebrated the impact of these programs: “DFSS is proud to share a snapshot of the successes of its youth programming through the release of the 2025 Summer Youth Impact Report,” she said. “We are touching the lives of youth all across the city, offering them opportunities for personal advancement and enrichment and helping our young people chart new futures full of possibility.”

More than 150 community-based organizations helped DFSS deliver programming to over 108,000 residents this year. The city’s flagship initiative, One Summer Chicago, employed 31,122 young people, with 94% of participants saying they now see themselves as capable workers and 91% reporting greater confidence in their abilities.

Deputy Commissioner Kathy Cullick credited partnerships for the program’s success: “One Summer Chicago would not be possible without the collaboration of DFSS’s delegate agencies, City sister agencies like the Park District and Chicago Public Schools, and our corporate partners within the private sector,” she said.

The report also outlined efforts aligned with Mayor Johnson’s People’s Plan for Community Safety. The Service Coordination and Navigation (SCaN) program offered case management support to 253 high-risk youths, who collectively achieved 880 personal goals this year. The program aims to reach 540 youths next year under the proposed budget.

DFSS also led leadership development through its Peacekeeping program, where 210 participants received training in restorative justice practices. Additionally, the Youth Intervention Pathways partnership—with city and state law enforcement—referred 74 minors away from the justice system in 2025, diverting them from further legal involvement.

The My CHI. My Future. Safe Spaces initiative engaged 6,400 youths across summer events, including tournaments, classes, and leadership activities, supported by more than 200 youth workers.

Commissioner Green emphasized the broader goal: “We are excited for the future of our youth programs and the tangible impacts they are having on our City’s young people,” she said. “The sustainable revenue stream for youth programming that would be created through the Community Safety Fund would ensure no progress is lost in our efforts to reduce violence and crime through trauma-informed youth engagement.”

Mayor Johnson’s proposed Protecting Chicago Budget allocates nearly $58.8 million to DFSS youth initiatives for the next fiscal year. The majority of funding—$48.9 million—will go toward employment programs, with $5.2 million dedicated to violence reduction and additional funds supporting intervention and safe-space efforts.

The report reinforces Chicago’s continued investment in young residents—framing youth opportunity not only as an employment issue, but as a cornerstone of community safety and long-term city growth.