Excel Academies of Chicago Students Explore Careers, Build Skills and Give Back Through Summer Programming
Learning Beyond the Classroom
This summer, students from Excel Academies of Chicago spent time on job sites, explored potential careers, and served their communities through programs across Roseland, South Shore, Southwest, and Englewood. The experiences were offered through the Chicago Public Schools Options Network and One Summer Chicago, the city’s youth employment initiative.
Through paid summer employment, enrichment activities, mentorship, and community-based learning, students gained exposure to different career paths while developing skills they can use in the workplace and beyond.
Programming Designed Around Student Needs
Each Excel Academy campus designed programming around local partnerships and student needs. Students took part in experiences ranging from apprenticeships and workforce development to art, music, and community service. Financial literacy and other practical skill-building activities were also incorporated into programming.
South Shore Students Explore the Workplace
At Excel Academy of South Shore, students participated in summer employment and community-based learning experiences that connected them with mentors, local partners, and real-world career exposure. Through Chicago Youth Works opportunities, students built workplace habits, strengthened communication skills, and made connections with professionals and organizations in their community.
One partnership connected students with the Black Boy Literacy Program at Salem Baptist Church, where students combined employment with mentorship, literacy, leadership, and community engagement. Students took on responsibilities while contributing to the program and learning from mentors throughout the summer.
Other students explored hospitality management through hands-on experience at Nafsi, located inside the South Shore Cultural Center. Working alongside restaurant staff, they developed customer service, teamwork, and workplace-readiness skills. One student made such a strong impression that the restaurant offered long-term employment after the summer experience ended.
Englewood Students Learn and Serve
At Excel Academy of Englewood, summer programming gave students opportunities to get out into the city and their community. Students took part in educational field experiences, team-building activities, and collaborative projects while learning more about Chicago and working alongside their peers.
Participants also strengthened practical financial literacy skills through workshops focused on budgeting, saving, and making informed decisions about money. Students also volunteered with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, packing meals for neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
The summer experiences gave students a chance to learn outside the classroom, meet new people, and become more familiar with the city and the communities around them.
Experiences That Last Beyond Summer
“Across campuses, summer programming gave students more than a job or a short-term activity,” said Anthony Haley, regional director, Excel/Safe Academies – Chicago. “It gave them opportunities to practice professionalism, build relationships with adults and peers, explore future careers, serve their communities and take pride in what they accomplished.”
Those experiences will follow students back to the classroom this fall. Whether they spent the summer working at a local business, volunteering in their community or exploring Chicago, students return to Excel with new experiences to draw from as they consider what comes next.
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