After School Matters - Chicago
History
The roots of After School Matters can be traced back to an abandoned city block in the heart of downtown Chicago. Fifteen years ago, amid the magnificence of State Street, across the street from the palatial Marshall Field's, stood one lonely city block, known simply as Block 37. In 1990, Mayor Richard M. Daley asked all city departments to offer ideas about how best to use Block 37. Chicago's First Lady, Maggie Daley, and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, Lois Weisberg, had a brilliant idea. They had long been interested in developing an arts-related job-training program for Chicago's teens.
Under Maggie Daley's direction, the once vacant block was converted into an outdoor art studio for Chicago high school students. Here they could learn a vast array of artistic genres taught by skilled professionals from Chicago's own neighborhoods and communities. In honor of the original Block 37, the exciting, new project was named gallery37. By the fall of 2000, the overwhelming success of Gallery 37 with Chicago's young adults prompted the expansion of the job-training program beyond the arts, creating sports37, tech37, and words37. Together these innovative programs formed After School Matters.
After School Matters expanded its programs to hundreds of schools, libraries, and parks throughout the city, including the state-of-the-art downtown Center for the Arts, located at 66 East Randolph Street. By partnering with the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and Community-Based Organizations, After School Matters provides teens with the opportunity to engage in constructive activities during the crucial after-school hours. At each location, local professionals help Chicago's youth meet the challenges that await them by developing marketable job skills and building confidence by showcasing their talents.
Today, After School Matters is recognized as one of the strongest after-school initiatives nationwide and is acknowledged as the largest program of its kind serving teenagers in the United States. From its origins on Block 37, After School Matters has grown from serving 180 teens in three neighborhoods to offering nearly 600 programs in 58 schools. Inspired by its success, After School Matters remains committed to expanding out of school opportunities for Chicago's young people.