After School Matters to Provide Thousands of Teens Paid Programs This Spring

After School Matters to Provide Thousands of Teens Paid Programs This Spring

CHICAGO – Teens can apply to hundreds of programs across the city this spring through After School Matters®. Program opportunities are available to teens in the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM. The 11-week spring session begins the week of February 24th, and all participants earn a stipend. Interested teens can apply by visiting afterschoolmatters.org.

After School Matters offers opportunities aimed at providing a safe, enriching environment where teens can engage with their peers in educational, creative, and skill-building activities that contribute to their personal and academic development. Participants work and learn from instructors who are experts in their field and often become lifelong mentors to teens.

“At After School Matters, we create spaces where teens can explore their interests, build meaningful relationships with peers from all backgrounds, and feel supported,” said Tony Diaz, Chief Programs Officer. “These programs have become a lifeline for young people, offering them tools to navigate challenges like stress and loneliness while fostering personal growth.”

A few of the exciting programs offered this spring include:

Advanced Tumbling Into Fitness

Teens learn tumbling skills and strength training in this program. They will also study nutrition and learn to create healthy meal plans for themselves and their families.

Bon Appetit

Teens learn culinary skills and basic cooking techniques in this program. Participants receive the training necessary to obtain jobs in the culinary and hospitality industry or simply to prepare healthy and sustainable meals for themselves and their families.

Code Your Dreams

Teens learn how to code and build mobile apps that make a difference in their communities. They will also learn about different career paths in this program.

Community Actors Program

Teens explore acting techniques and hone their voices as actors in this program. They will create a play that inspires positive change in their communities.

Craft & Culture Lab

Teens explore and create art with materials such as textiles, wood, paper, and clay, as well as new technologies like computers, 3D printers, and laser cutting machines.

Gardeneers

Teens learn about nutrition, the community, and the environment through hands-on lessons in gardens. Participants plant, harvest, and eat the produce they’ve grown. 

Teens can search and apply for spring 2025 programs at afterschoolmatters.org. All After School Matters programs are free and open to Chicago high school students. Teens interview with program instructors to discuss their interests as part of the application process. Teens are encouraged to apply early, as program opportunities fill up quickly.

For questions about programs and applications, call 312-742-4182 or email applications@afterschoolmatters.org. 

For more information, visit www.afterschoolmatters.org.

These programs are supported by the City of Chicago and the Illinois State Board of Education, Chicago Public Schools, and other generous public and private donors.

After School Matters is a nonprofit organization that provides high-quality, after-school, and summer opportunities to Chicago high school teens to explore their passions and develop their talents while gaining critical skills for work, college, and beyond. After School Matters programs are project-based, led by industry experts, and provide a pathway to progress in skills development and independence. Teens earn a stipend while participating in programs in the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Over the span of three decades, After School Matters has engaged more than 400,000 teens throughout the city of Chicago.

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