The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) has released its 2025 Summer Youth Impact Report, detailing the effects of city youth programs on employment, enrichment, and violence prevention. The report comes as Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Protecting Chicago Budget proposes continued funding for these initiatives through a Community Safety Surcharge.

According to the report, young people in Chicago participated in more than 2.84 million hours of work experience and project-based learning over the summer. Collectively, they earned over $30.9 million—an average of about $1,815 per participant aged 16-24 in DFSS-funded programs.

“Today’s report is a testament to what we can accomplish when we provide our city’s young people the resources they need to succeed," said Mayor Brandon

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