HUMBOLDT PARK — Demetrius Brown, 19, has spent most of his summer commuting from Morgan Park to Humboldt Park three times a week for his job at a print studio.

Each leg of Brown’s commute is two hours on public transportation, but it’s worth the trip, he said.

Under Jona Siko’s guidance, Brown has been learning about printing, marketing, accounting and analytics at Siko’s Print Studio, 2603 W. North Ave. in Humboldt Park.

“I never did anything in this kind of area — from making banners to even looking at things coming out the printers to be on the car — but that’s cool,” Brown said on a recent afternoon while working. “Now I’m doing books and all that stuff. So I’m doing printing a lot and other things that could further help my career choices.”

Brown is one of eight youth who worked for Siko as part of One Summer Chicago, the city’s youth employment initiative, which ends this week.

An intern stands next to a decal she helped make for a business at Print Studio 2603 W. North Ave., in Humboldt Park during her summer internship. Credit: Provided

Having the kids help run the business has been a blessing, Siko said. She opened her print shop in December and has been growing her roster of clients, offering print and banner services, decals, business signs and more.

With the interns’ help, Siko has been able to get more work done while teaching them skills like how to use social media, create and print designs, work with other business owners and promote themselves.

“Any extra pairs of hands is a huge help because I wouldn’t be able to afford having extra eight employees,” Siko said. “To delegate tasks, such as Sam [Vargas] editing social media videos, which would take me hours, is huge because then I could focus on something else. It’s been fun; they’re giving me new ideas, which is extremely helpful. They know what I don’t know.”

Siko plans to sign up with One Summer again next year.

Samantha Vargas, 19, who commuted to the print shop with her friend and fellow intern Elizabeth Sanchez, 19, from suburban Elmwood Park, has enjoyed learning skills from Siko, like how to effectively use social media and interact with clients. As a marketing major at Wright College, the internship was a perfect fit.

“This is my first opportunity that’s for the experience and what I am studying,” said Vargas, who is from Mexico. “It has also helped me to speak more English and get better.”

Samantha Vargas, 19, works on a social media post for Print Studio, 2603 W. North Ave., in Humboldt Park on July 2, 2025. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago

As the youth prepare to head back to their respective colleges, they are grateful for the experience and for being able to make connections that can help them grow into their careers, they said.

“I just wanted to work while I was out of school for summer vacation and have something to preoccupy my time so I wouldn’t just be at home or outside 24/7,” Brown said. “It was a new door that was opened for me.”

Sanchez, who came to the Chicago area from Ecuador two years ago, said the internship has been a valuable experience. She’s learned how to make business flyers, print signs and better her work ethic.

“I am getting experience in the workforce, and it’s a way to have my own money to support my family and learn new skills,” Sanchez said.

Growth Challenges

Most of the youth who worked under Siko came through ASPIRA, a nonprofit that is part of One Summer Chicago. ASPIRA partners with area businesses to offer jobs to more than 300 people 16-24 years old.

Each year, businesses partner with ASPIRA’s program, each with varying employment requests, needs and jobs for the kids, said Tania Martinez, ASPIRA’s youth center program manager.

ASPIRA gets its funding from the city’s Department of Family and Support Services summer program. That program — which provides about 19,000 youth jobs for the city’s initiative — had its budget cut from $62 million last year to $52 million for this summer due to a loss of COVID-era federal funding, a city spokesperson said.

The trickle-down effect of that was felt for ASPIRA: While its summer program funding was level, it received less overall funding from the city. It had to let go of 15 people who would’ve normally worked on the summer youth employment program, leaving just two workers, Martinez said.

ASPIRA staff normally help young people get to their jobs and internships during the program — but they didn’t have enough staff to do that this year, Martinez said. And because the staff members who were let go had relationships with area businesses, some of those businesses didn’t want to participate this year, Martinez said.

Mayor Johnson helped with a resume-building activity at The Hope Center in Pullman to increase youth employment as part of the city’s One Summer Chicago initiative on July 9, 2025. Credit: Noah Asimow/Block Club Chicago

Still, One Summer Chicago has grown overall under Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration: The initiative hired more than 30,000 youths this summer, a 47 percent increase since Johnson took office, according to the Mayor’s Office.

As major key players look to next year’s summer programs, it’s not yet clear how potential federal funding cuts could affect programs such as One Summer Chicago.

“Federal funding cuts have not yet impacted these programs, but future federal funding cuts may pose a risk to the city’s ability to continue to contribute corporate funding to the One Summer Chicago program, along with many other vital City programs and services,” said a city spokesperson.

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