Taniya Howell, a senior at West Town Academy in Chicago, heads home as the school day ends on May 12, 2023.
The group spoke out after a new report commissioned by the Alternative Schools Network and conducted by the Great Cities Institute at University of Illinois at Chicago shows that jobless rates for Black youth have not recovered since the pandemic.
Wuest said the pandemic created a “cauldron of frustration and anger” for young people. Wuest started a charter school network in 1998 that now enrolls over 3,000 young people in 18 schools around the city. Howell said that at a time when she had little else to do, without guidance and mentorship, being employed through Alternative Schools Network summer youth employment programs saved her. She said it allowed her to meet new people, boosted her self esteem and gave her a sense of purpose and identity.“It’s important for me as a Black youth. It’s important to us to get the opportunity to advocate for us,” Howell said. “It’s coming from us. It’s happening in our neighborhoods.
The city already plans to offer 650 job openings for young people and the state will offer 160, but those figures need to be in the thousands, said Wuest. He is pushing for state and national commitment, but said job programs should be implemented by local groups who know youth. “This is the work we envision our students doing. Coming into the community, advocating for the community. Doing what’s needed for them,” Gibson said. “Identifying what they need and speaking up.”