The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) announced the launch of the 2025 One Summer Chicago (OSC) application portal, marking another major expansion of the City’s youth employment initiatives. One Summer Chicago is a collaborative youth employment program that partners with local businesses, nonprofits and city agencies to provide paid work experiences for young people ages 14-24 over six weeks during the summer. Last year, 27,793 young people were employed through the One Summer Chicago (OSC) program during the summer of 2024, representing a 12 percent increase from the previous year and a 39 percent increase. Across all OSC partners, participants completed 2.935M hours of work experience and project-based learning.  Youth earned nearly $41M in wages.

One Summer Chicago Offers Three Key Programs: 

• Chicago Youth Service Corps (CYSC): Employs youth ages 16-24 year-round, focusing on leadership development and civic engagement. 

• Chicagobility: Engages youth ages 14-15 in project-based learning and skill-building experiences. 

• Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP): Provides job placements and training opportunities for youth ages 16-24 to build skills and gain career experience. 

For more information or to apply, visit OneSummerChicago.org.