At-risk youth who participated in the 2012 One Summer Plus program experienced a 51 percent drop in arrests for violent crime, according to new study released from the University of Chicago Crime Lab. City officials are building upon that success by studying the impact of One Summer Plus on participants in 2013 and establishing the model for future youth programs. One Summer Plus offers youth from neighborhoods with elevated rates of violent crime with employment opportunities, mentoring and therapy.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle created the One Summer Chicago program in May 2011 to provide youth with educational, safe summer activities. More than 700 youth ages 14-21 were selected to participate in One Summer Plus in 2012 from an open application process available at 13 Chicago public schools located in high-violence and low-income neighborhoods. Applicants faced a number of challenges; the year before they entered the program, they had missed an average of six weeks of school and about 20 percent had been arrested. Summer 2013 is bringing several brand new summer programs for this population. These include:

• Greencorps Youth Program – Open to youth from specific high schools in high-crime communities, Greencorps provides them with training in horticulture and bicycle repair.
• Youth Working for Success – A youth employment program targeting justice-involved youth that helps them develop skills to bring about positive social change through civic leadership. This program is an outgrowth of NATO’s recent Chicago summit and emphasizes NATO’s mission of Working Together for Peace and Security.