Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined After School Matters and donor Karyn Lutz to celebrate the grand opening of a new, state-of-the-art facility in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood. The Michael and Karyn Lutz Center for After School Matters will allow the organization to expand its capacity and serve up to 1,500 more young people annually. The new Lutz Center for After School Matters has been made possible through a generous donation from Karyn Lutz and the Lutz Family Foundation. The 36,000-square-foot renovated building features art studios, a dance studio, vocal booths, tech labs and a full commercial kitchen, as well as numerous concrete canvases on which teens can create their own murals and display their art.

“Our family is thrilled to be able to make this investment in one of Chicago’s up-and-coming, yet still under-resourced communities,” said Karyn Lutz, chair of The Michael and Karyn Lutz Family Foundation. “The Lutz Center will expand After School Matters’ ability to provide young people in Belmont Cragin the opportunity to discover their potential in a professional, safe and empowering space that is conducive to their development and accessible to a diverse group of teens.” After School Matters has previously served teens in Belmont Cragin and surrounding communities through programming at local high schools, parks and various community organizations. This summer, nearly 600 teens will participate in 28 programs at the new Lutz Center for After School Matters, including architecture design, Latin dance and underwater robotics.