Entrepreneurship & Youth Enrichment.
Entrepreneurship training, after-school programs, mentorship, and enrichment — investing in who young people are becoming, not just where they are right now.
Investing in who they're becoming — not just where they are.
Project H.O.O.D.'s Youth Entrepreneurship and Enrichment programming is built on a simple belief: every young person in Woodlawn has something to offer. We create the environment to prove it — with real skills, real mentors, and real pathways forward.
- Entrepreneurship and business skill-building
- After-school tutoring and academic support
- Skills training and enrichment programs
- College and career readiness coaching
- Mentorship from community role models
- Summer internship placement
Coaches, mentors, and educators from the community.
Our youth team is made up of educators, coaches, and community mentors who show up consistently — building relationships that go beyond a single program. Young people who come through often return as mentors themselves.
Who we work with.
- Chicago Public Schools
- Local entrepreneurship and workforce partners
- Summer internship employers
- New Beginnings Church of Chicago
The numbers.
Preparing the next generation.
This year, Project H.O.O.D. welcomed more than 300 graduating high school seniors and their families at our annual Trunk Party — sending students into their next chapter with the dorm and college essentials they needed to succeed.
Throughout the year, our summer interns gained hands-on leadership experience in our offices and programs, and our Military Fair opened doors to careers, scholarships, and leadership training — reminding every young person that their future is bigger than their circumstances.