Organization Provides Training To Young People

Darnell Buckner is the CEO of the John W. Buckner Youth Initiative. Photo provided by AppreyPR.
Darnell Buckner is the CEO of the John W. Buckner Youth Initiative. Photo provided by AppreyPR.

Organization Provides Training To Young People 

By Tia Carol Jones

Darnell Buckner and his mother established the John W. Buckner Youth Initiative in 2019, as a way to honor his father who was shot in the front yard of his home while unloading groceries. Also known as Our Hands Our Worth, the John W. Buckner Youth Initiative serves young people in communities from Altgeld Gardens, West Pullman, Roseland and Washington Heights between the ages of 8-years old to 24-years old.

The young people who participate in the program are trained in the culinary arts, urban agriculture, music and financial literacy.  Initially, the organization provided scholarships to students in music, urban agriculture and culinary arts, because those were near and dear to John W. Buckner’s heart. Now, the organization has expanded to also include workforce development and community violence intervention.

The John W. Buckner Youth Initiative, along with Fenger High School, Youth Guidance and the Chicago Area Veterans Forum launched the Fenger High School Workforce Development Program earlier this year. The goal of the program is to provide students with paid, hands-on training and work experience, and serves as both an economic vehicle and education platform. During the 10 weeks of the program, the students will receive professional training and earn industry certifications and licenses, while gaining valuable skills they can use in the future.

Buckner said the organization has been placing young people in employment opportunities through its culinary arts program and there was a need for more opportunities for the young people. So, Buckner partnered with the other stakeholders for the workforce development program. The young people in the program get access to the Chicago Botanical Garden and PNC Bank. After completing the program, the young people are placed at a local credit union, a café, as well as working with the John W. Buckner Youth Initiative at schools.

“This project transforms pain into purpose,” Buckner, CEO of the John W. Buckner Youth Initiative, said in a release. “My father, John, believed in empowering young people with the tools and knowledge to build a lasting future. Through this work, we’re not only teaching students how to grow food but also fostering discipline, confidence, and opportunity.”


Buckner added that it is his hope that the program opens the doors to meaningful work, mentorship and sustainable pathways to economic mobility. He said it has been good for him to see the young people flourish as a result of the program. He has been able to see the excitement on the faces of the young people when they receive their first direct deposit and being excited just to have the opportunity to work. He said the program enables the young people to have a sense of independence.

Buckner said it is very important to have partnerships with other stakeholders in the community. He said that those relationships have been vital to the success of the organization and its programs. He said it enables the organization to provide wraparound services to its participants.

Young people are encouraged to apply for open positions on the organization’s website. Community members are encouraged to volunteer their time and expertise to mentor to the young people in the program. People also can donate garden or hydroponic materials and supplies at Fenger High School, located at 11220 S. Wallace, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursdays.

For more information about the John W. Buckner Youth Initiative Our Hands Our Worth, visit www.johnwbuckneryouthinitiative.org, email JohnBucknerYouthInitiative@gmail.com or call 773-412-3475.

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