Youth Development Programs
Carole Robertson Center for Learning – North Lawndale, 3701 West Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60623
About
Youth Development Programs offers after-school programs during the school year and Summer Day Camp during school closures. The program includes activities in art, STEM, and general activity-based sessions, along with youth and leadership development. It is part of a broader set of youth development programs that also connect with advocacy, community partnerships, workforce development efforts, child care networking, and support services for independent child care providers.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Program hours at centers are 8:00am–5:00pm, with an administrative office schedule of 8:30am–4:30pm
Summer Day Camp focuses on social-emotional learning, problem-solving skills, and team-building through fun and engaging activities and experiences. After-School Programs provide high quality academic support and enrichment activities during the school year. Youth development programs are offered at flagship sites and at a network of partner schools, and experiences are described as infusing youth voice and choice and being grounded in research and best practices. The Center offers early education programs through multiple models, including center-based, home visiting, micro-centers at local schools, and a network of center and family child care provider partners.
Youth development programs are delivered through a highly qualified, energetic, and passionate staff. The leadership team connected to these programs includes Brenda Berman, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications; LaTonya Jones, Director for North Lawndale; Vanessa Powell as the contact for Little Village; and Lucy Taylor, Director for Albany Park. The mission of the Carole Robertson Center for Learning is to educate, enrich, and empower children and their families.
The Carole Robertson Center for Learning was formed in 1976 and marks its 50th anniversary in 2026. The Center reaches 15,000 children and adults annually through direct service programs, community partnerships, workforce development efforts, and support services for independent child care providers, with a direct service footprint that extends to more than two dozen communities across Chicago. The organization engages in community-based advocacy and offers individual, group, and corporate volunteer opportunities as ways to be involved in the community. The Center describes child care as a human right and vital to the economic success and personal well-being of the community, and it describes itself as a leader in building brains and championing families. Its approach combines direct service, robust data and evaluation practices, and community-based advocacy, and it serves as a living incubator for fresh innovations in early childhood education and youth development. The Center honors the life and memory of Carole Robertson and her friends Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair, who were killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
Last updated July 29, 2026.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Program hours at centers are 8:00am–5:00pm, with an administrative office schedule of 8:30am–4:30pm
Summer Day Camp focuses on social-emotional learning, problem-solving skills, and team-building through fun and engaging activities and experiences. After-School Programs provide high quality academic support and enrichment activities during the school year. Youth development programs are offered at flagship sites and at a network of partner schools, and experiences are described as infusing youth voice and choice and being grounded in research and best practices. The Center offers early education programs through multiple models, including center-based, home visiting, micro-centers at local schools, and a network of center and family child care provider partners.
Youth development programs are delivered through a highly qualified, energetic, and passionate staff. The leadership team connected to these programs includes Brenda Berman, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications; LaTonya Jones, Director for North Lawndale; Vanessa Powell as the contact for Little Village; and Lucy Taylor, Director for Albany Park. The mission of the Carole Robertson Center for Learning is to educate, enrich, and empower children and their families.
The Carole Robertson Center for Learning was formed in 1976 and marks its 50th anniversary in 2026. The Center reaches 15,000 children and adults annually through direct service programs, community partnerships, workforce development efforts, and support services for independent child care providers, with a direct service footprint that extends to more than two dozen communities across Chicago. The organization engages in community-based advocacy and offers individual, group, and corporate volunteer opportunities as ways to be involved in the community. The Center describes child care as a human right and vital to the economic success and personal well-being of the community, and it describes itself as a leader in building brains and championing families. Its approach combines direct service, robust data and evaluation practices, and community-based advocacy, and it serves as a living incubator for fresh innovations in early childhood education and youth development. The Center honors the life and memory of Carole Robertson and her friends Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair, who were killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
Last updated July 29, 2026.
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