A targeted jobs program with a proven track record for keeping at-risk youth safe from summer violence is in line for a dramatic expansion, thanks to a $10 million gift from a former NBA great.
Hall-of-Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson, along with Mark and Kimbra Walter, are partners in Inner City Youth Empowerment LLC.
Their two-year, $10 million gift to the city will triple the size of the program known as “One Summer Chicago Plus” — and provide 5,000 summer jobs for young people at risk of being exposed to violence. The city will contribute $6 million during the same period.
One Summer Chicago Plus is a costly but effective summer jobs program whose 16- to 19-year-old participants are drawn from high schools in high-crime areas.
To qualify for the 25-hour-a-week summer jobs — as well as a mentor, cognitive behavioral therapy and social-skills building — students must first have missed six to eight weeks of high school or been directly involved in the juvenile justice system.
The individual attention doesn’t come cheap. It costs roughly $2,900 per student, nearly triple the $1,000 cost of a traditional summer job.
But the laserlike focus has a proven success rate. Continue reading Chicago Suntimes
:
No comments:
Post a Comment