CEO Update - July 2012

Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson Appointed As After School Matters Board Chair

The Board of Directors of After School Matters announced that Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson will serve as our organization’s new board chairman, a position that had been vacant since the passing of our founder Maggie Daley in November of last year.

Additionally, it was announced that Nora Daley Conroy will join the After School Matters board of directors and Patrick Daley will join our advisory board, carrying on their mother’s legacy of ensuring that Chicago teens have opportunities to develop their talents and gain critical skills for work, college and beyond.

In her role as board chairman, Hobson will be responsible for engaging and cultivating new board members; expanding the organization’s donor base to include major private gifts and individual donors; and providing strong support for After School Matters efforts to expand access to and continue to improve the quality of our programs.

As we look to the future and our goal of increasing the number of Chicago public high school teens to whom we can provide programming, our organization is structured to support significant growth, enhance operational efficiencies, maintain and enhance program quality, and encourage innovation. This is an exciting time of change, growth and opportunity for After School Matters as we continue to work together to help Chicago teens discover their potential and find their path to a meaningful life.

New After School Matters Internship Programs at Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago

This month, After School Matters kicks off an innovative new program offered in partnership with the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (ICNC), the nation’s largest small business incubator, which has provided over 60 internship opportunities for our teens this summer.

This pilot program launches a new model of business partnerships for our organization. By placing our teens in internships where they can apply the content-area and career readiness skills gained through previous After School Matters apprenticeship programs, teens can be introduced to a wide array of entrepreneurial work opportunities with the goal of adding true economic value to these up-and-coming companies.

• Solstice Stained Glass, a company that restores and creates original designs in all forms of stained glass will have two After School matters interns this summer working in both artistic and administrative capacities, helping to build a marketing campaign through the use of social media.

• Aztec Plastics, a manufacturing company that supplies many industries, including aerospace, with engine components parts will provide our intern experience in quality control, production and administrative work.

• Arts of Life, an extraordinary organization that creates art mentoring opportunities for developmentally disabled adults, will host 10 After School Matters interns this summer, including many who hope to pursuing college careers in psychology, special education, and social work.

Opportunities such as these provide teens with the experiences to discover their potential and find their path to a meaningful life. We are proud of our teens and all that they have accomplished. We wish them a fun and productive first week!

Mayor and Mrs. Emanuel to Serve as Honorary Co-Chairs for 10th Annual Gala

We are pleased to announce that Mayor and Mrs. Emanuel will serve as honorary co-chairs for the After School Matters 10th Annual Gala on Monday, October 1, at Navy Pier. 

The Gala will be the first since the passing of our organization's founder Maggie Daley in November of last year. We thank Mayor and Mrs. Emanuel for their support of our organization's ongoing work to provide teens with opportunities to develop their talents and gain critical skills for work, college and beyond.  

At the Gala, teens participating in After School Matters programs this summer will be featured in instrumental, vocal, dance and theatrical performances; practice culinary skills; showcase their technology and science exhibits; and display their visual arts in a gallery featuring paintings, sculptures and colorful mosaic planter centerpieces.

We look forward to seeing you at the Gala this year, and thank you for your ongoing support of After School Matters and of the teens, families, schools and communities we serve. For more information about the Gala, please visit www.afterschoolmatters.org/gala.

Bon Appetit! Teens Host Downtown Culinary Buffet On Fridays

Teens in our After School Matters gallery37 Downtown Culinary Themed Buffet program will be recreating menus from prominent Chicago restaurants and serving them every Friday from 11:30 a.m.- 1:15 p.m. 

This Friday the program will recreate Chef Joho's menu from the Paris Club. Other menus scheduled to be featured this summer are:

July 20: Dirk Flanigan's menu of upscale comfort food at The Gage

July 27: Chef Paul Fehribach's Southern heirloom inspired menu from Big Jones

August 3: Chef Carlos Gaytan's blend of Mexican and French cuisine at Mexique

Buffets will be held at the Gallery37 Center for the Arts (66 East Randolph) on the 3rd floor Rooftop Terrace.  This program provides teens with the opportunity to develop their culinary talents and gain valuable skills from talented Chicago area chefs. 

To sign up for each Friday's buffet, please email summerrooftopbuffet@gmail.com. Tickets are $8.00 each, cash only. We look forward to seeing you there!

Fall Applications Go Live This Week!

As teens enjoy a successful Summer participating in After School Matters apprenticeship and internship programs in Millennium Park, the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts and at schools, parks, businesses and community organizations throughout the City, we are already planning for the fall!

Fall applications will open this month for our exciting apprenticeship and internship programs in the arts, communication, science, sports and technology. Interviews will begin in late August and fall programs will start September 17. Starting the middle of July, teens interested in applying should visit www.afterschoolmatters.org/teens.