Applications Now Open for Chicago High School Teens Seeking Paid Apprenticeship and Internship Programs with After School Matters®

Published: December 8, 2016

Media Contact:
Michael Crowley
Senior Director of Communications and Policy
312-239-5233
michael.crowley@afterschoolmatters.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2016

Program photos available here.

Applications Now Open for Chicago High School Teens Seeking Paid Apprenticeship and Internship Programs with After School Matters^®
7,000 program opportunities available to Chicago teens this spring

CHICAGO—After School Matters^® is now accepting teen applications for its Spring 2017 program session. More than 350 programs in the arts, communications, science, sports and technology will be offered beginning the week of February 20 at more than 65 Chicago public high schools, as well as Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Library and community organization locations throughout the city, and downtown at the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts. Teens can search and apply for spring programs online at afterschoolmatters.org. The online application is available entirely in Spanish.

In total, more than 7,000 paid apprenticeship and internship opportunities will be available to Chicago high school teens this spring through After School Matters. 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.

“After School Matters is committed to providing teens with exciting and diverse opportunities to explore their interests,” said Mary Ellen Caron, chief executive officer of After School Matters. “Through our programs, teens are able to discover their passions and develop skills that will help them succeed in high school and beyond.”

After School Matters’ unique programs offer teens an opportunity to explore and develop their talents, while gaining critical skills for their futures. 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.

A few of the exciting programs offered throughout the city this spring include:

Aquaponics – Science
Location: Urban Prep Academy, Englewood
Teen apprentices learn the underlying design and management principles behind aquaculture (the cultivation of aquatic animals) and hydroponics (growing plants in a nutrient rich environment without soil). Apprentices design, assemble and maintain a recirculating system where produce and fish can grow for human consumption. Through this program, teens learn about the growing field of aquaponics and gain experience growing their own food.

Camera Flux – Framing the City with Photo & Video – Communications
Location: Little Village Boys & Girls Club, South Lawndale
Camera Flux provides teens with an opportunity to re-envision their homes, communities and city by creating personal stories through photography and video. Teens explore different styles of storytelling, learn innovative photo and video techniques, and work with state-of-the-art technology and equipment. Teen apprentices work alongside their instructor, an interdisciplinary artist, whose photographic and video work has been featured in prominent media such as Vice Magazine and MTV.

Chi-Teen Literary Festival – Communications
Location: Chicago Public Library Teen Services Department, Loop
Teens develop their writing, communication, business and life skills through the development of a quarterly magazine, a weekly radio show, a daily blog and a mini-magazine. This program teaches teen apprentices literary skills and enhances young journalists' abilities to analyze major media and social conditions.

Learn to Swim – Sports
Location: Collins High School, North Lawndale
Teens in the Learn to Swim program at Collins learn the basics of swimming and gradually develop their skills to train to become lifeguards. Apprentices learn aquatic rescue, CPR, and other life-saving skills. At the conclusion of the program year, teens may apply for the lifeguard certification to be qualified for lifeguard employment opportunities during the summer.

Music Video Production – Tech
Location: Prosser Career Academy High School, Belmont Cragin
This Music Video Production program explores video production with an emphasis on original music and content. The activities focus on creating and mixing beats and producing an original music video. Teens produce, direct, shoot and edit their own videos and music. Apprentices also attain a foundational understanding of music video production from idea development through hands-on projects.

Wood Shop Program – Arts
Location: Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Avalon Park
Teens learn to create various items and furniture pieces using wood such as candle boxes, step stools, small bookcases, and garden/flower boxes. Through the Wood Shop Program, apprentices learn and practice how to make accurate measurements, use wood shop tools and paint, finish and install a completed project.

Teens can search and apply for Spring 2017 programs at afterschoolmatters.org. 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 are currently 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. Application features include an interactive map to help teens search for programs and a full Spanish translation on a mobile-friendly platform. For questions about programs and applications, call 312-742-4182 or email applications@afterschoolmatters.org.

For more information, visit www.afterschoolmatters.org.

About After School Matters
After School Matters provides Chicago high school teens with high quality, out-of-school time opportunities to explore and develop their talents while gaining critical skills for work, college and beyond. Over the past 25 years, more than 200,000 teens have participated in our hands-on, project-based after-school and summer programs in the arts, communications, science, sports and technology. Programs take place at locations throughout the city including Chicago public high schools, Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Library locations, community-based organizations and downtown at the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts.

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Keywords: After Schools Matters, ASM, Jobs, teens, youth