1-25 of 45
Offers safe, supportive, and respectful environments for children, adolescents and their families, provides wellness Education, leadership development, and community education. Youth Outlook Drop-In Centers meet weekly to support each other and discuss topics of interest to the participants.
Other offerings include:
- Rainbow Sprouts, a social program for children K-6 and their parent/family/guardian.
- Youth Leadership Program: provides opportunities to help run drop-in centers, assist with volunteer training, organize special projects, participate in community education, and advise the agency board through the Youth Advisory Board.
- Transcend: a program for transgender youth, provides a forum to discuss issues such as gender identity, hormone injections, legal issues, etc.
- THRIVE: a support group for parents, foster parents, guardians, and full-time caregivers of LGBTQ+ teens. This is an adult-only group and provides a confidential space for parents to share their stories, find commonalities, and get some of their questions answered.
Organizations may request YO speakers to give presentations about LGBQ+ issues and an annual fundraising banquet is held to raise funds for YO and LGBTQ+ issues.
Services
LGBTQ2+ Community Centers
Leadership Development
Support Groups
Youth Enrichment Programs
LGBTQ2+ Advocacy Groups
Offers a wide range of supports for trans youth and their parents/pivotal adults.
Services offered:
- Youth Zoom Groups.
- Game nights on Discord.
- Youth online chat.
- Healthy Relationships class.
Services
Support Groups
Web Based Discussion Groups/Live Chat
Leadership Development
Supports local churches and non-profit organizations by helping them network and partner together to address and solve issues in the city. Provides encouragement, leadership training, and networking for local pastors and church leaders. Helps unite faith communities so that they can share resources, volunteers, and have maximum impact in their neighborhoods. Serves as a networking hub for individuals, churches, and organizations to share resources and meet the needs in the community.
Services
Leadership Development
Community Engagement Program Development
Hosts job fairs and free workshops on career exploration, resumes, interviewing skills, and job readiness.
Services
Leadership Development
Computer Literacy Training Programs
Prejob Guidance
- Reading for Life: Provides literacy workshops and distributes reading materials. Partners with Silver Cross to provide reading rooms and lending libraries. Materials focus on early childhood literacy, but options exist for all ages.
- Writing Lab: Lab for improving computer literacy as well as essay and general writing skills.
- Workshops: Community workshops for things like leadership development, financial literacy, and health/wellness.
Services
Literacy Programs
Book/Magazine Donation Programs
Book Distribution Programs
General Health Education Programs
Computer Literacy Training Programs
Leadership Development
Financial Literacy Training
A leadership development program that exposes teens to a wide range of educational and career opportunities that build positive self-esteem, self-respect, and social moral character.
Services
Youth Enrichment Programs
Leadership Development
Participants learn life and leadership skills while exploring their local community. Includes enrichment programs, leadership classes, and field trips that are both fun and educational.
Services
Leadership Development
Offers a variety of programs for youth:
- Boys Dance Crew: Tap and Hip Hop for boys ages 11-14.
- Fearless Females Junior Chapter: Leadership development for young ladies, in partnership with Joliet West High School.
- Princess to Pearls Junior Chapter: Leadership development for teens.
- Kings in the Kings Court: Leadership development for teens.
- "Youth Speaks" Oratorical Program: In partnership with Silver Cross Hospital.
- Passport to Success: Leadership, character building, and life skills for girls and boys ages 7-17.
- Real Men Read: Male volunteers partner with Joliet School District to provide positive role models with a focus on reading.
- Teens Overcoming Pressure (TOP): Teaches teens to identify healthy relationships and to note early warning signs of abusive relationships, violence, and controlling or manipulative behavior while giving them tools for coping.
Services
Dating Violence Prevention
Youth Enrichment Programs
Leadership Development
Volunteer Opportunities
The Y offers multiple leadership programs in safe, welcoming environments throughout the city and Chicagoland area. By providing young adults the opportunity to learn and grow, we create healthier, stronger communities!
Services
Adult/Child Mentoring Programs
Leadership Development
Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) helps individuals with disabilities who are Hispanic/Latino obtain employment, education, and training, and access a variety of community resources. They also assist families of eligible customers in obtaining needed services and resources.
Services
Vocational Rehabilitation
Functional Disabilities
Hispanic/Latino Community
Leadership Development
Roll Call's Creative Art Fashion & Design Program trains youth to explore creativity, arts, and fashion, by introducing youth to life skills that can lead to entrepreneurship opportunities in the future. Children develop creativity and passion for fashion by learning how to sew, create custom clothing, t-shirt design styling, creating novelty items, merchandise marketing, and financial literacy. They also learn to become leaders by lending their voices during youth-led meetings among their peers.
Services
Youth Enrichment Programs
Leadership Development
Fashion Design Instruction
Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) helps individuals with disabilities who are Hispanic/Latino obtain employment, education, and training, and access a variety of community resources. They also assist families of eligible customers in obtaining needed services and resources.
Services
Vocational Rehabilitation
Functional Disabilities
Hispanic/Latino Community
Leadership Development
Bethel Family Resource Center provides a range of job training opportunities for young people ages 16 to 21. These programs integrate leadership development, comprehensive support services, educational programming, and college enrollment with on-the-job vocational training.
Services
Leadership Development
General Youth Employment Programs
Enlace Chicago's Leadership Academy is a two-day training that covers topics relating to organizing, leadership and advocacy. All sections are set within the context of Enlace's work in Little Village. The Academy serves to unify visions and notions of an advocacy identity, the meaning of being a leader and the importance of community organizing.
Services
Leadership Development
SER/SERCO locations offer educational, emotional, and career support to young adults, ages 16-24, living in low-income, underserved communities, especially those who are ex-offenders or gang-affected. Services include after-school programming, supplemental education, GED classes, job and internship skills training, education pathway planning, career coaching, financial literacy, mentorship, summer employment referrals, case management referrals, transportation, service learning projects, and leadership training.
Services
At Risk Youth Employment Programs
Extended Child Care
High School Equivalency/GED Test Instruction
Leadership Development
Adult/Child Mentoring Programs
Case/Care Management Referrals
General Youth Employment Programs
SER/SERCO locations offer educational, emotional, and career support to young adults, ages 16-24, living in low-income, underserved communities, especially those who are ex-offenders or gang-affected. Services include after-school programming, supplemental education, GED classes, job and internship skills training, education pathway planning, career coaching, financial literacy, mentorship, summer employment referrals, case management referrals, transportation, service learning projects, and leadership training.
Services
At Risk Youth Employment Programs
Extended Child Care
High School Equivalency/GED Test Instruction
Leadership Development
Adult/Child Mentoring Programs
Case/Care Management Referrals
General Youth Employment Programs
Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) helps individuals with disabilities who are Hispanic/Latino obtain employment, education, and training, and access a variety of community resources. They also assist families of eligible customers in obtaining needed services and resources.
Services
Vocational Rehabilitation
Functional Disabilities
Hispanic/Latino Community
Leadership Development
Alternatives' offer four youth leadership programs. Details and applications can be found on the website. Girl World is a leadership development program for girls, femmes, and non-binary/gender-expansive youth of color. Just Us is grounded in restorative justice principles and provides a space for middle school youth to build community, and increase social justice awareness. Full Circle brings young people who have been impacted by unjust systems to a grounded experience and understanding of Restorative Justice. The Peace Ambassadors Program is a paid apprenticeship for young adults (17-24 years old) who have faced homelessness or are system-involved.
Services
At Risk Youth
Leadership Development
Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) helps individuals with disabilities who are Hispanic/Latino obtain employment, education, and training, and access a variety of community resources. They also assist families of eligible customers in obtaining needed services and resources.
Services
Vocational Rehabilitation
Functional Disabilities
Hispanic/Latino Community
Leadership Development
Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) helps individuals with disabilities who are Hispanic/Latino obtain employment, education, and training, and access a variety of community resources. They also assist families of eligible customers in obtaining needed services and resources.
Services
Vocational Rehabilitation
Functional Disabilities
Hispanic/Latino Community
Leadership Development
Books Over BallsYouth Ambassador Initiative is a program that trains and empowers young people to become leaders in their communities. Youth Ambassadors are selected from Books Over Balls' basketball and academic programs. They participate in a year-long training program that teaches them about leadership, public speaking, and community organizing.Once they are trained, Youth Ambassadors are responsible for planning and implementing community service projects in their neighborhoods. They also serve as role models for younger children and encourage them to get involved in Books Over Balls programs.
The Fellowship Initiative, in partnership with JP Morgan Chase, is building a diverse community of young men of color from across Chicago who possess a broad range of skills and experiences. This 3-year leadership development program is designed to support rising High School sophomores in earning their degree from an accredited 4-year college or university.
Services
Leadership Development
Boys
Garfield Park Community Council supports residents as they assume leadership roles in community planning and revitalization efforts.
Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) helps individuals with disabilities who are Hispanic/Latino obtain employment, education, and training, and access a variety of community resources. They also assist families of eligible customers in obtaining needed services and resources.
Services
Vocational Rehabilitation
Functional Disabilities
Hispanic/Latino Community
Leadership Development
Teamwork Englewood's Education & Youth Development program engages youth residents to be valued stakeholders of the community. Youth residents participate in the community all year long and in many different ways. Some fun activities include basketball, dance, and group outings to amusement parks, basketball games, museums, ice skating, and more.
Services
Adolescents
Leadership Development