Our Programs

• Meetups & Communities of Practice

  As a Chicago Out-of-school-time (OST) network weaver, CLX facilitates regular meetups for our community. Meetups provide a Community of Practice for Chicago OST professionals to connect, build relationships, share resources and information, and build collaborations and partnerships to better serve Chicago’s young people.

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• CLX Executive Leadership Program

  CLX's 3-month Executive Leadership Program engages a cohort of 2 leadership-level staff (i.e. Executive Directors, Directors, Chief Program Officers) from up to 9 -10 Chicago-based youth development organizations using research-backed methods to build tools and capacity to enhance wellbeing, stress management, and emotional self-regulation. Priority is given to BIPOC leaders in Chicago who serve youth and families on the south and west sides of Chicago.

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• Brother Mike Awards

  The Brother Mike Awards honor 3 outstanding out-of-school time mentors with $5,000 no-strings-attached financial support. The Brother Mike Award is given to mentors who demonstrate excellence in their work with Chicago youth as well as a deep commitment to social justice and racial equity.

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Our Impact

CLX is a network weaver that connects, invests in, and advocates for the Chicago out-of-school time (OST) community. Our work impacts individuals, organizations, and systems. Our members represent a diverse group of youth mentors, administrators, teaching artists, youth advocates, coaches, librarians, professionals, funders, and volunteers who have a shared passion for making Chicago rich with out of school learning opportunities, and a shared belief in the greatness of Chicago's young people.

Connect

We bring together a community of over 150 partner organizations serving young people in Chicago. Partner organizations consistently report an increased sense of belonging in a broader OST community as well as opportunities to collaborate with one another after attending Meetups. They also report access to valuable information that helps them advance their work. Over the past five years, survey responses from community meetups have shown an increase in all three of these areas (belonging, collaboration, and access to information).

Invest

We invest in our Chicago OST community through opportunities to convene, specialized and responsive trainings, and funding advocacy for our sector. Since 2020, we have invested over $45,000 directly in leading mentors through the Brother Mike Awards, an annual no-strings-attached recognition of excellence in OST youth mentorship. We believe the Chicago OST community has some of the most talented and impactful mentors in the field of education, and we believe these mentors deserve not only care and recognition but material supports and resources.

Advocate

We work with our community of partner organizations to advocate for funding, support, and resources for the vital work of OST education. Especially in this time of sociopolitical uncertainty, we believe we must come together to fight for our sector and the people who make it great.

Member Testimonial: “CLX plays a huge role in connecting and strengthening the city’s out-of-school time ecosystem. They bring together educators, mentors, and organizations that support youth—especially BIPOC youth—to share resources, collaborate, and build programs that are more equitable and impactful. For me, CLX has been a powerful support network. Through their events, leadership programs, and partnerships, I’ve gained tools, funding opportunities, and real relationships that help me grow as a leader and better serve my community.”

• 15O Partner Organizations
• 2OOk+ Youth Served by Partner Organizations
• 91% Of CLX Member organizations report collaboration at our Meetups
• $45K Awarded directly to Youth Mentors through the Brother Mike Awards since 2020