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Teens Meet With Chicago's First Lady, Amy Rule, To Talk Summer Jobs

 First lady Amy Rule visited a One Summer Chicago group on their job site Wednesday.
First lady Amy Rule visited a One Summer Chicago group on their job site Wednesday.
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DNAinfo/Andrea V. Watson

CHATHAM — Chicago’s first lady, Amy Rule, made a special appearance in Chatham to meet with a group of teen employees Wednesday.

The young workers were hired by One Summer Chicago this year to work with the department of Streets and Sanitation. Mayor Rahm Emanuel kicked off the program in June. The youths jobs program is the city's largest work program and provides jobs and internships to teens and young adults between the ages of 14 and 24.

One Summer Chicago opportunities are available in many industry areas, including urban agriculture, outdoor forestry projects, bike repair and office and clerical work.

The recycling ambassador program is a new addition this year. There are four groups of 10 who travel across Chicago’s South Side visiting senior homes, camps and libraries. Their job is to educate people on the Do’s and Don’ts of recycling. Wednesday’s group was assigned to present to seniors at the Chatham Senior Center, 8300 S. Cottage Grove.

 First lady Amy Rule visited a One Summer Chicago group on their job site Wednesday.
First lady Amy Rule visited a One Summer Chicago group on their job site Wednesday.
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DNAinfo/Andrea V. Watson

“I thought it was great,” Rule said. “They showed a lot of poise and composure.”

She sat in on a practice presentation before the residents arrived. She asked the teens what had they learned so far: they explained that, when recycling, it’s important to not crush pop cans because it makes the sorting process easier.

Others shared that they didn’t previously know bottles and newspapers could be reused.

Rule even joked with them about how serious they appeared and said she was surprised their phones were put away.

“No phones out,” she observed while laughing, adding that she’s used to her children always looking at a screen.

Later, Rule told DNAinfo that One Summer Chicago’s structure is unique because it brings together a network of community partners and employers.

“They commit to working with our young people for seven weeks over the summer,” she said. “I see our youth as our City’s biggest natural resource and [this program] matches that young talent with needs in the community.”

In some ways, it’s also indirectly addressing the issue of violence, she said, because “One Summer Chicago is keeping our young people engaged in constructive activities with adult supervision.”

The “safe and supportive environments” are better alternatives to being unsupervised in the streets, she said.

The program also brings together teens from across the city, so participants have the opportunity to build friendships with youths from other neighborhoods and schools, Rule said.

The exposure to different industries is a good one, Rule said.

“It exposes them to a range of opportunities in the City of Chicago,” she said. “A lot of these kids didn’t know about recycling, but I think that it exposes them to new places, new people, new challenges, new skills, maybe things in themselves they didn’t know they had.”

And the skills the jobs are equipping them with are priceless, Rule said.

Her first job was a cashier at a deli, she said, adding that no one forgets their first job.

“A job provides structure and by definition, they have to be disciplined and have responsibilities,” she said. “They have commitments to each other. They show up and they engage with their coworkers and other young people from across the city.”

Since the early years of the program, it has grown significantly. More than 30,000 young people were hired to work this year, a record high, Rule said, when compared to the 14,000 last year.

She has worked to secure new employment partners this year, including Potbelly Sandwich Shop, the Chicago Cubs, Hyatt and Navy Pier.

The goal is to continue bringing more of the private sector on board to expose the teens and young adults to more opportunities.

“I want them to get exposed to a range of opportunities to open up their world a little bit, so that they see the city as a whole and they get to be familiar with some of the opportunities that are available to them.

Dewan Brown, 18, of Englewood said his experience has been “fun and cool” so far and said he likes educating people about why they should recycle. He said he didn’t really do it before, but now he understands why it’s important.

Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Charles Williams was present for the presentation and said that it’s this generation’s responsibility to improve the Earth’s environmental issues. He also said it’s more powerful coming from them than adults.

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