New youth center opens in Calumet Heights in former CPS school
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Calumet Heights neighborhood has a new youth center.
The program opened in a CPS school that closed 10 years ago.
CBS 2's Shardaa Gray spoke to some parents and kids who are excited about the new center that's within walking distance of where they live.
A celebration for a youth center in the community. Some parents wasted no time in signing up their children for the Chicago Youth Centers of Calumet Heights.
"I've got two children that I'm already getting ready to enroll on the day camp," said Ladrenne Mason.
It's been 30 years since CYC opened a new location. The new center is in the former CPS Buckingham Special Education Center, one of the dozens of CPS schools that closed in 2013.
As the school year comes to a close, CYC said they're providing early education opportunities, childcare, and inter-generational programming.
Anjel Williams lives in the neighborhood and is ecstatic that her children have a place to go this summer.
"I feel like our children need positive role models. They need activities and they need to be involved in a variety of different activities because the possibilities are endless when we expose our kids to things," Williams said.
"I feel like the kids that are going to be here are going to be excited and I want them to be happy that they're going to be here. So that makes me excited," added Jayla Williams.
"I feel like this center is going to be a big hit for everyone in this neighborhood," said 10-year-old Ethan Meeks.
The Chicago Youth Centers said the child education industry lost about a third of its workforce at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and struggled to recover.
They said that's why they opened the new center in Calumet Heights to help fill in the gaps in after-school programming. For some kids, they have high expectations.
"What I'm most excited about at the center is making new friends," added seven-year-old Addison Potter.
"It's fun to do. It won't be boring and you'll have something to do every single day," said Nicholas Martinez.
"Coming here, making new friends and stuff. Bonding with other people," said Omarr Williams-Lynch.
