Impact 4:14

  • Location
    Chicago, Illinois
  • Status
    Active
  • Age Level
    14 to 18 Years

The Problem

Intelligent and Ambitious Minds is a nonprofit organization helping girls build confidence, leadership skills, and preparation for adulthood. We want to host a free Career Readiness Community Day for teens who may have limited access to professional networks, career preparation, and employment resources. Teens will participate in career workshops, meet guest speakers and local professionals, receive résumé feedback, and practice interview skills. Local businesses will be invited to conduct on-site interviews, share employment opportunities, and connect participants with mentors. Teens will also have access to donated professional clothing for interviews, free professional headshots, and career-readiness supplies and resources. The event will primarily serve teens ages 15–18 from Chicago and surrounding Suburbs. By bringing employers, mentors, and resources directly to young people at no cost, the project will help teens strengthen their confidence, build professional connections, and leave with practical tools they can immediately use to pursue employment and future opportunities.

Our Plan

Young people will help shape the Career Readiness Community Day from planning through implementation. I.A.M. participants will identify the career questions and challenges that matter most to teens, including what they want to know about employment, interviews, résumés, workplace expectations, and career pathways. Their feedback will help determine the workshops, speakers, businesses, and resources included at the event. Participants will also take leadership roles in outreach, event promotion, welcoming attendees, introducing speakers, organizing the professional clothing area, and helping coordinate activities. Teens will have opportunities to communicate directly with business and community partners while helping create an event designed for their peers. By involving youth in real planning and decision-making, the project allows them to practice communication, teamwork, organization, problem-solving, and leadership while seeing that their ideas can shape resources and opportunities available within their own community.

Themes Addressed

  • term icon
    Community
  • term icon
    Compassion
  • term icon
    Economic Issues
  • term icon
    Social-Emotional Learning

The Benefit

  • term icon
    People
About Roots & Shoots

We are nurturing the compassionate leaders of tomorrow.

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