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Become a Provider

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After School Matters continually seeks Employee Instructors (EI) and Community-Based Organizations (CBO) interested in providing after-school programs. These program providers mentor and share their expertise with high school teens by delivering a wide range of high-quality program opportunities across the city of Chicago in our four main content areas: Arts, Communication & Leadership, Sports, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

Interested in becoming a provider?

Step 1: Watch our New Potential Provider recorded webinar:

Gather insight into After School Matters, our partners, and who we serve.

Watch Presentation

Step 2: Complete the Rolling Interest Form

Decide the type of program provider you would like to be (View the ASM Employee Instructor vs. Community-Based Organization decision chart), and you will be directed to complete the appropriate form.

Complete the Rolling Interest Form

Step 3: Interview Selection

Program proposals and ideas will be reviewed by Programs Staff. Potential Providers will be invited to interview based on alignment with After School Matters’ target content areas and identified community needs.

If selected to move on to the interview phase, our Programs Staff will contact you.

Please ensure that the contact information for your proposal is up to date. You may email [email protected] for updates.

If you are selected for an interview, please review this packet to help you prepare. It provides a brief overview of ASM and outlines our expectations and requirements for providers to deliver high-quality programs for ASM teens.

Contact Us for Updates
New/Potential Provider Process and Timeline (Subject to Change)
June - 1st Week of August 2026Rolling Interest forms submitted by Potential Providers and reviewed by Programs staff
July - August 2026
Potential Program Providers selected for interviews. Interviews conducted.
August 2026Fall 2026 program selections made. Employee Instructor (El) offer letters and Community Based Organization (CBO) contract notifications sent.
August 17, 2026At least 1 instructor per program must be Approved to Work before teens can apply to a program.
August 17, 2026Deadline for ALL instructors to be Approved to Work before teen recruitment can start.
August 24, 2026
Deadline for CBO programs to be Approved to Start before program is allowed to begin.
Fall 2026 Program Dates
September 28, 2026 Fall 2026 Programs Begin
December 12, 2026 Fall 2026 Programs End
Rolling Interest Form Submission Dates
Program SessionRolling Interest Form SubmissionTypical Session Dates
SummerJanuary - AprilEnd of June to beginning of August
FallJune - AugustEnd of September to mid-December
SpringSeptember - DecemberFebruary to May

Note: As this is a Rolling Interest process, there are instances where Program staff may make selections and/or interviews outside of these timeframes.

Step 1: Watch the New Potential Provider Presentation

Please review the New Potential Provider presentation to gather insight into After School Matters, our partners, and who we serve.
Watch Presentation

Step 2: Complete the Rolling Interest Form

Decide the type of program provider you would like to be (Click here to access the ASM Employee Instructor vs. Community-Based Organization decision chart) and you will be directed to the complete the appropriate form.

Complete the Rolling Interest Form

Step 3: Interview Selection

Program proposals/ideas will be selected by our Programs Staff and invited for interviews based on After School Matters target content areas and/or community needs.

FAQs

There are various compliance requirements that must be met during the duration of your program. These include entering attendance into Cityspan, retaining all receipts for purchases made for After School Matters programming, and completing end-of-program reports and surveys of various sorts. More information on these will be provided.

You will be notified through an email from our PQC Contracts (CBO) or People & Culture (EI) department in the event that you are selected to become a program provider with After School Matters. 

You will need to complete a Renewal. Please note that if you are offering a new program or changing your program (different than the previous program you held with us), then you will need to fill out a Rolling Interest form. In addition, if you change your contractual identity (i.e. you are currently an ASM Employee Instructor, but want to run a program as a Community-Based Organization), you are required to do a Rolling Interest form. 

  • Contract with us as a CBO (i.e. sign contract and budget, instructors/liaison must clear background checks, obtain required insurance, etc.).
  • Meet enrollment targets, average daily attendance requirements/ input attendance on time.
  • Find and secure space for programming.
  • Have a designated community liaison (serve as primary contact for PS & ASM, sometimes may be different than contract administrator).
  • Program Quality (this is assessed by visits from Program staff and the executive team, as well as YPQA assessments, and program deliverables (i.e. final products and showcases).
  • Submit expense reports and teen documents to finance within 2 weeks after program ends.
  • Program Report (complete & detailed).
Programs are allowed to choose their own meeting days.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

  • Demonstrated practical knowledge of content area.
  • Creative problem-solving skills.
  • Customer service skills; ability to effectively communicate with a variety of stakeholders (teen participants, parents, ASM programs staff, vendors, etc.).
  • Cultural competence. 

Qualifications: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in relevant content area etc. is preferred; high school diploma or GED required. 
  • Experience working in a field relevant to the content area is required. 
  • Familiarity with specific Chicago neighborhoods is required. 
  • Experience teaching, specifically teenagers, is highly preferred. 
  • Commitment to diversity and inclusion is required. 
No, you may not. You will be notified by People & Culture of documents and action items you need to submit/complete before being authorized and approved to work.
As Employee Instructors (EI) are considered part-time ASM staff they will be paid as an employee on a bi-weekly basis, while Community-Based Organizations (CBO) are responsible for hiring and paying their own instructors directly.
  • To apply as a Community-Based Organization (CBO), consider that CBOs are locally contracted based organizations who manage program staffing and supplies with the approval of After School Matters. The organization will need to complete the Rolling Interest Form.
  • To apply as an Employee Instructor (EI), consider that Employee Instructors are part-time employees of After School Matters. The instructor should apply through the ASM Careers page.

During your interview, you should be prepared to tell us about your program idea and discuss how you would implement your program, your budget and supplies, teen recruitment, interview, and selection strategies.  

Community Based Organizations (CBO) are responsible for hiring and compensating their own instructors directly. CBO’s will need financial liquidity since they are paid half of their approved budget expenses upon execution of their contract and are paid the remaining balance after required documents are submitted at the end of the program session.

Community-Based Organizations (CBO) are required to maintain insurance during program cycles in the following areas:

  • General Liability
  • Worker’s Compensation (if applicable)
  • Umbrella/Excess Liability Occurrence
  • Auto Liability
  • Sexual Abuse and Molestation

Questions?

After School Matters will continue to respond to inquiries about the Rolling Interest process. Questions can be submitted via email to [email protected].

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