City leaders say Chicago's summer jobs program may have rebranded, but its mission has not changed.
Mayor Brandon Johnson used a Tuesday appearance in the city's Back of the Yards neighborhood to announce that the program known last year as "One Summer Chicago" will now be called "Chicago Youth Works."
"The new name makes it clear that we are working to provide youth employment opportunity that extends beyond the summer months," the mayor told reporters at Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School, 2111 W. 47th St. "Chicago Youth Works is how we build a more equitable future for our young people."
The mayor's office estimates more than 31,000 people aged 14 to 24 found jobs through the program last year.
One of those people was Susana Cardona, a senior at Back Of The Yards College Prep, who worked last summer with the Back Of The Yards Neighborhood Council.
"It was something new, and it pushed me out of my comfort zone," she said during Tuesday's announcement. "I learned a new level of responsibility and accountability, and I now know the difference between responsibilities at home and expectations in the workplace."
The mayor has characterized the $50 million program as an investment in improving public safety and economic opportunity for Chicago's young people, who he hopes will stay and build lives in the city.