After School Matters is still accepting applications for its fall program session.
More than 350 programs in the arts, communications, science, sports and technology will be offered starting the week of Sept. 26 at more than 60 Chicago public high schools, as well as Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Library and community group locations throughout the city, and Downtown at the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts.
In total, more than 7,000 paid apprenticeship and internship opportunities will be available to Chicago high school teens. Fall programs will meet approximately three days a week for three hours per day over the course of 10 weeks.
Participating teens will be eligible to earn a stipend of up to $425 (depending on the program level), and interns can earn $10.50 per hour.
“Through our programs, every teen has the opportunity to develop their passions and skill sets, which helps them succeed in high school, college and beyond,” said Mary Ellen Caron, chief executive officer of After School Matters.
Multiple independent studies and recent data have confirmed that teens who participate in After School Matters programs have higher “freshmen on-track” rates, improved school-day attendance and higher high school graduation rates than their peers.
Here are a few of the programs teens may apply for:
Advanced Culinary Arts at East Side United Methodist Church, East Side: This program gives teens the opportunity to learn culinary skills that will help them to obtain jobs in the culinary hospitality industry or simply to prepare healthy and sustainable meals for themselves and their families. For their final presentation, the teens prepare a cake display and dinner for the community and their families.
PJ Green Technology and Engineering at Mujeres Latinas en Accion, Lower West Side: Working individually and in teams, teens will design, build, and program their own engineering projects. Throughout the fall, teens will explore electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer engineering and robotics. Teens will develop leadership and professional skills to prepare them for careers in the STEM fields.
True Star Editorial at Morgan Park High School, Morgan Park: Teens will develop their writing, communication, business and basic life skills through the development of a quarterly magazine, a weekly radio show, a daily blog and a mini-magazine. This program teaches literary skills and enhances young journalists’ abilities to analyze major media and social conditions.
Upcycle Uptown at Uplift Community High School, Uptown: This program will encourage teens to reconsider the usefulness of disposable or discarded objects by incorporating these objects into works of art. Teens develop skills in problem solving by repurposing discarded objects in multi-media art projects.
Urban Teen Growers: Chicago Botanic Garden at Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, Loop: Teens will gain hands-on experience growing vegetables and fruits on the Gallery 37 rooftop and inside the Urban Garden Lab. They will have the opportunity to learn about urban food growing, cook delicious meals, and practice environmental sustainability in the classroom and through field trips to farms and gardens around Chicago.
Web With A Twist at Crane Medical Preparatory High School, Near West Side: Designed to provide students with technology, entrepreneurship training and experiences that allow them to explore and strengthen their creativity through technology and problem solving, teens will learn a variety of web-based skills from blogging to building websites that provide them with the skills to get a job in the computer industry.
All After School Matters programs are free and open to Chicago teen residents who are at least 14 years of age (16 years of age for internships) and enrolled in high school.
As part of the application process, teens interview with program instructors to discuss and present their skills and interests. Chicago teens are encouraged to apply early, as program opportunities fill up quickly.
New application features include an interactive map to help teens search for programs, a fully responsive mobile functionality,and a full Spanish translation.
For questions about programs and applications, call (312) 742-4182 or email applications@afterschoolmatters.org.