CHICAGO – Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) provided an update on the success of Mayor Johnson’s summer youth employment program. As of today, 28,839 young people have been hired through One Summer Chicago (OSC), as employers continue to fill their remaining spots.   

“Expanding youth employment was a promise I made to the people of Chicago who wanted to see more of our young people with productive and safe ways to spend their summers,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “I am proud that when it comes to summer youth employment, we can tell Chicagoans in no uncertain terms: promises made, promises kept. We’ve expanded youth employment for three summers in a row, and we will not stop until every young person who wants to work has that opportunity in Chicago.”   

Mayor Johnson announced the updated summer youth employment numbers at the Hope Center Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Roseland on the Far South Side that received funds from DFSS to hire dozens of young people this summer. Youth participants are enrolled in a workforce development program that partners with Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Second Chance Program to help them find a job through CTA or through local partners.   

“I’ve always been interested in entrepreneurship, and One Summer Chicago has helped me build the confidence and skills to start seriously thinking about my future,” said Ali Cooper, an OSC participant. “None of this would be possible without strong leadership that believes in young people like me. That’s why I’m grateful for Mayor Johnson and his commitment to funding programs like this.”  

Mayor Johnson participated in a resume-building exercise with 25 OSC participants to engage with young people and hear directly from them about their experience in the program. See photos of Mayor Johnson meeting with the youth participants here.   

The Hope Foundation is a new addition to the One Summer Chicago program, underscoring Mayor Johnson’s commitment to continuing to expand opportunities for young people.   

“The employment opportunities provided through One Summer Chicago are a vital bridge to valuable connections and learning that can inspire new paths forward and change young people’s lives forever," said DFSS Acting Commissioner Maura McCauley. "With 52 agencies partnering on the One Summer Chicago program this year, the diverse range of work opportunities we are able to offer our young people is truly incredible."    

Mayor Johnson launched the One Summer Chicago application in March 2025 with an ambitious goal of adding 1,000 additional positions for young Chicagoans. With partnerships across City departments, sister agencies, community-based organizations, and corporations, Mayor Johnson is on track to hit that goal by the end of this summer. These additional positions are on top of the expansion last summer of 2,400 positions and the expansion during the administration’s first summer of 4,000 positions. In total, the Johnson administration is anticipating a 40% expansion in youth summer employment since Mayor Johnson took office.   

The Mayor’s Office will provide an update at the end of the summer on the total number of youth employed through Mayor Johnson’s summer youth employment program.   

Additional Background on One Summer Chicago:   

One Summer Chicago  

One Summer Chicago (OSC) is a youth employment program offered in partnership with local businesses, community organizations, and city agencies (departments, sister agencies and aldermanic offices) to provide young people ages 14-24 with paid work experiences for six weeks of the summer with a minimum of 20 hours per week. There are four main program models:   

• Chicago Youth Service Corps: Employs youth ages 16-24 year-round through programming focused on leadership development and local/civic engagement.   

• Chicagobility: Employs youth ages 14-15 through project-based learning and skill-building experiences.   

• Summer Youth Employment Program: Employs youth ages 16-24 through job placement or training program to provide work experiences and support career pathway development.  

• Safe Spaces for Youth Program: Part of the My CHI. My future. community initiative, this program funds organizations to hire young people within their communities to plan and host year-round events for their peers.   

The One Summer Chicago program is made possible through partnerships with City departments, sister agencies, community-based organizations, and corporate partners. Critical partnerships for OSC include: After School Matters, Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Transit Authority, and City Colleges of Chicago, as well as additional partnerships across the city.   

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