From the executive director

Dear friends, participants, partners, and supporters,

As we experience the warmth of the season and emerge from the grip of the pandemic, we hope you are experiencing a wonderful transition into a more “normal” world again. At YJC, we had our first in-person event, outside and with limited capacity and yet many hugs, to celebrate another transition. Our former Director of Strategic Initiatives, Eileen Hallstrom, begins an exciting new chapter of her life in a different city and in a new role. She will be greatly missed having contributed so much to the organization in the past several years. And just as in all transitions, there are challenges and excitement. We are excited for what this means for our society, our agency, and mostly our young people, as we begin this next phase.

After facing the challenges of the past year, we are excited about what the future holds. Our agency is growing and we have narrowed down our priorities. We have known that our work with high school seniors as they prepare to graduate has the potential to reduce challenges young adults face in stepping onto their path to a career and we have worked to expand that support.

We are embedding Financial Health in all of our training and Career Advising, having been certified as a Financial Opportunities Center (FOC) in 2020. We have staff dedicated to providing internal and external training so our young people can not only find stable work, but build wealth over time. We are seeing a shift in young people who are looking for career paths that don’t require college, and are eager to invest in their ongoing learning, either on the job or through training programs.  In one new partnership, we are creating a program with Olive Harvey College to replicate a long-term Evanston training program in  Auto Maintenance and Repair.  And we continue to develop our virtual capabilities, so YJC’s services aren’t only available to those in our immediate communities, but youth and young adults throughout the region and beyond.

At this transition point, there is much work to do.  And we’re ready. 

As we transition into the post-pandemic world, we look forward to working with you to ensure success for all of your young people, in the workplace, and in life.

Sincerely,

Karen Tollenaar Demorest