Dear Friends,

Today is the last day of June and summer is in full swing. For many young people, this time outside of school can lead to boredom. I remember when I was a teenager growing up in Lincoln Square and having access to excellent summer programs at River Park where I learned to swim, became a junior lifeguard at 16 years old, and spent some of the most unforgettable days of my youth playing with diverse kids from the surrounding communities. I want our young people to have those same opportunities. So I wanted to send out some summer opportunities for employment, programming, and all-around enjoyable things for young people in our district to do this summer!

Lifeguarding

If you will be 16 or older by July 1st, you can serve your community by working as a lifeguard this summer! The Chicago Park District is hiring for the season, and if you are interested in protecting swimmers, you can learn more and apply here.

Local Park District Programming

Many of our local parks also have summer programming. Please use this site to find the contact information for area parks, and learn more about day camps, organized sports, and more!

Youth Employment

Organizations like After School Matters and One Summer Chicago help match young people with job opportunities and internships to prepare students for joining the workforce, as well as providing a healthy stipend for their work.

Boys and Girls Club

The Pedersen-McCormick Boys & Girls Club has slots available, and low-income households are eligible to have their fees waived. If you are interested, the application is here.

Additional District Organizations

CircEsteem, Alternatives, Family Matters, and Howard Area Community Center provide low-cost programming for the summer. For low-income households, many of these programs are available at a reduced or no cost.

I don’t want cost to be a barrier for a single young person in our district who wants something productive to do over the summer. So if you need help finding financial assistance for a specific opportunity, feel free to contact our office and we will see where we can help.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff if you have questions or would like to voice your opinion about legislative or budget issues. I would like to reiterate that our office is here to help. We are a non-judgment, welcoming place where 7th district residents are encouraged to contact us to request constituent services.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 773-769-1717 if we can help you with anything.

Sincerely,

Mike Simmons

State Senator | 7th District