Chicago's Cabrini-Green neighborhood has officially welcomed a new beacon of hope for its young residents with the unveiling of the After School Matters' Orleans Teen Center. The renovated space, once a Catholic school building, now stands as a cutting-edge youth programming center, poised to provide out-of-school learning and personal development opportunities to approximately 2,100 teens annually. In a news release from the City of Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson said, "This new Cabrini teen center is more than a building—it's a promise to our youth that their city believes in them."
The ceremonial ribbon-cutting, occurring this Thursday, saw a gathering of city and state officials, including Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon. The center's launch is a clear signal to reinvigorate the Near North Side community with fresh opportunities and resources. "The resources and opportunities the center will provide will impact families across the neighborhood, creating new educational pathways to personal growth and success for the next generation of our young people," Alderman Walter Redmond Burnett remarked in a statement obtained by the City of Chicago's press office.
Supported by a sizable $5 million Community Development grant from the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD), the project embodies what can be accomplished through public and private collaboration. DPD Commissioner Ciere Boatright expressed pride in the project's role to inspire and educate thousands of Chicago's youth. According to the City's press release, the center is fully decked out with specialized classrooms, including a culinary space, a black box theater, and a skilled trades lab, alongside outdoor areas for urban gardening.
The ASM programs go beyond providing a safe place for teens to engage. They also aim to help students kick-start their independence and financial self-reliance by offering stipends or paying an hourly minimum wage. Last year, ASM served 15,135 teens through its expansive network of 362 sites in 69 community areas. Ald. Burnett told the City of Chicago that the Orleans Teen Center will work to deliver a new possibility for Cabrini-Green and the surrounding communities.
Further demonstrating their commitment to inclusivity, the facility was renovated to be 100% accessible. The construction phase of the project also adhered to the City's equitable employment strategies, providing jobs that paid the area's prevailing wage and meeting requirements for hiring local Chicago residents. The building's subcontracting efforts surpassed city goals, with significant participation from minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises.
In addition to enriching the lives of thousands of Chicago's youth, ASM's partnership in the citywide youth employment program, One Summer Chicago, saw the hiring of 8,891 young people this past summer. Not just a haven for nurturing young talent, the Center also aspires to be a hub, fostering quality youth development practices by serving as a gathering space for providers in the broader fields. per the City of Chicago's announcement.
