Chicago Youth Programs

Chicago Youth Programs (CYP) is an award-winning, innovative program created by Northwestern University medical students in 1984. Our mission is to improve the health and life opportunities of at-risk youth using a comprehensive approach aimed at developing their capabilities. We currently provide over 30 comprehensive programs to at-risk youth, birth-25, with a focus on the following under-served communities; Near North/ Cabrini Green, Washington Park, North Lawndale, and Uptown. Why these neighborhoods? CYP is dedicated to serving those least likely to have access to support. These neighborhoods have some of the highest rates of youth living in poverty out of all 77 of Chicago’s neighborhoods. In Washington Park, our largest community program, fully 86% of children below the age of 18 are growing up in poverty. The need and isolation poverty creates, combined with underfunded schools and a lack of affordable after school or summer programs, feed into a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape. To combat this devastating reality, we make it our goal to empower each of our youth to escape poverty by attaining the skills and degree necessary to attain financial independence. Our approach is to bring children into programming at a young age and retain them up through college, providing comprehensive resources to meet their educational and developmental needs at each stage of their journey. Programming areas include: literacy skills, tutoring, mentoring, recreation, arts & cultural activities, leadership development, SAT prep, college and scholarship application support, scholarships, job readiness training, and personal support throughout their college education. All of our programs are free and we provide transportation to and from programs to ensure that access is never an issue.