Chicago City Wire

Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services will host an End of Summer Celebration on August 13 at the Chicago Cultural Center. The event is part of the My CHI. My Future. (MCMF) Safe Spaces for Youth program and is expected to bring together about 250 to 300 guests, including young people aged 16 to 24 and staff from partner organizations.

The celebration will feature poster presentations by youth employed through the Safe Spaces program and an awards ceremony recognizing their efforts in planning safe community events throughout the year. Mayor Johnson will view these presentations before delivering opening remarks at the ceremony. Other speakers include newly-appointed DFSS Commissioner Angela Green and youth participants in the program. Home Run Inn is providing donated pizzas for attendees.

“I am thrilled to celebrate our young people and the progress they have made to build safer, thriving communities this summer,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “We are experiencing historic decreases in crime and violence throughout Chicago, and it is because we are empowering residents, and especially our young people, to be part of the solution. My administration will continue to invest in, empower, and hire young people as a core tenet of our work to build the safest, most affordable big city in America.”

Commissioner Green commented on the significance of the event: “The End of Summer Celebration puts on public display the results of our youth’s summer of hard work creating safe spaces for young people in their own neighborhoods,” she said. “The Safe Spaces program provides unique infrastructure that enables Chicago’s youth to take on leadership roles in addressing public safety. Participating youth gain an incredible growth experience, and their service is an invaluable opportunity for City leaders to learn from the expertise and lived experiences of our young people.”

Currently, 224 young people are employed through Safe Spaces for Youth positions year-round, with many participating over multiple sessions or years. Over 120 youth events are planned throughout 2025 as part of this initiative.

“Being part of this work shows me that my voice matters,” said Nyilah Walton, a Safe Spaces Youth Employee with Think Outside Da Block in Chicago Lawn. “When we show up for our community, we’re building something bigger than us and we’re creating space, opportunities, and hope for people who look like us.”

Activities organized through Safe Spaces include open-mic nights, neighborhood peace marches, movie nights, fashion shows featuring youth designers, wellness fairs, basketball tournaments, glow-in-the-dark dance parties, among others.

"These events let us know there are people that think of us as teens who want to enjoy themselves, rather than teens that are lost to the streets," said Robert Rodgers, a Safe Spaces Youth Employee working with the YMCA in Humboldt Park.

Launched by the Mayor’s Office in 2019,the MCMF initiative aims to connect young people with out-of-school time opportunities across Chicago’s neighborhoods. Since its start,the Safe Spaces for Youth program has been managed by DFSS since 2022 and serves communities mainly on Chicago’s South and West Sides.

Partner agencies involved include After School Matters (Increase the Peace), Marillac St. Vincent Family Services (Garfield Park), Metropolitan Family Services (Auburn Gresham/Greater Roseland Area), Northwest Center (Belmont Cragin), Project Exploration (Austin), SGA Youth & Family Services (Brighton Park/Gage Park), The Alliance 98 (Little Village), Think Outside Da Block (Chicago Lawn/Greater Englewood Area), Urban Male Network (Greater Grand Crossing/South Shore), and Young Men's Christian Association (Humboldt Park).

“I find this work important because it allows us to give back to the community,” said Anayanci Calderon, a Safe Spaces Youth Employee with After School Matters at Marillac St. Vincent Family Services in Garfield Park. “I originally joined because of the event planning—I stayed because of the community. The kids and teens like the events because they are something they can enjoy with their friends for free and be safe. There’s not a lot of free opportunities for young people in Chicago. Therefore, I find this work an essential part of the community."

Funding for Safe Spaces comes from American Rescue Plan resources aimed at supporting pandemic recovery among young people across affected areas.