What We Do
We invest in youth in underserved Chicago neighborhoods to help them discover and realize their full potential--from early childhood education to and through college.
HERE'S WHY ... Young people are most at risk for delinquent behaviors during the after-school hours of 2:00 to 6:00 pm. This is compounded in neighborhoods where poverty, drugs, violence, and under-performing schools are the norm. The good news is that these underserved children experience the greatest gains in academic performance and social and life skills development when they participate in after-school programs that are fully implemented and they attend regularly. That's why we're here--and have been for more than half a century.
HERE'S HOW ... CYC welcomes at-risk, low-income youth ages 3-18 into eight neighborhood-based centers and a residential camp where they receive one-on-one and small group guidance from well-trained, caring adults. Our centers and unique camp are oases of encouragement and support for these children.
Three core programs reinforce their strengths, support academic success, and help them envision a positive future:
- Head Start and Early Childhood Development, ages 3 to 5
- Out of School Time, ages 5 to 12
- Teen Leadership Development, ages 13 to 19
CYC also offers College and Career Readiness, Mentoring Children of Prisoners, Environmental Education, Educational Support for Wards of the State, and Crisis Intervention.
EMPHASIZING THE POSITIVE ... Five content areas are reinforced through a Positive Youth Development model:
Academic Achievement -- College and Career Readiness
Life Skills -- Health and Wellness -- Arts and Culture
Camp 50th Anniversary On May 4th and 5th, CYC hosted its Annual Camp Work Weekend at Camp Rosenthal in Dowagiac, MI. Together, CYC staff, supporters and participants leaned, planted, raked, weeded, and painted in order to prepare camp for the upcoming Summer Camping Season. On Saturday, May 5th, CYC also hosted its 50th Anniversary Celebration of Camp Rosenthal. The fun-filled BBQ event featured a special tour of the campgrounds and the unveiling of Camp Rosenthal's recently added architectural signage recognizing the generosity of our donors. What began as 80 acres of land with a few rustic cabins, now spans 330 acres with four camper villages, each containing cabins, a bathhouse, and an activities building, and includes a 30-acre lake, a pond-observation deck, an archery range, and a ropes challenge course. Though Camp Rosenthal has grown over the years, the fundamental take-away for each young camper remains the same. Our youth leave Camp with a sense of belonging, responsibility, stronger leadership, team building, and life-long friendships.
Save the Date: CYC's Annual Believe in Kids Dinner Chicago Youth Centers (CYC), the city’s largest independent, locally-based, multi-site youth services organization, will host its largest annual fundraiser, the Believe in Kids Dinner, on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. Reception begins at 6pm, with the formal program beginning at 7pm. Each year, CYC honors those who have shown outstanding commitment to helping low-income high-need youth of Chicago during the “Believe in Kids” Award Dinner. Long time board members and philanthropic leaders Gordon Lang, Jr., Henry Wisniewski, and John A. Sivright will be the recipients of the Spirit of Youth Award, in recognition of their steadfast support of CYC for over four decades. Joining us as co-chairs of this special event is Mark G. Sander, President and Chief Operating Officer of First Midwest Bank and esteemed member of the CYC President’s Leadership Council and Dick DiStacio, Chairman and CEO of iGPS. All proceed from the event will support CYC's programming including Early Childhood Education, Mentoring, and College and Career Readiness. Through these innovative and effective programs, we are helping Chicago’s youth build the academic, social, and emotional skills needed to succeed. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Rhyan Kronzer at (312) 913-1700, extension 424 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
