Off The Street Club Youth Programs
Off The Street Club, 25 N Karlov Avenue, Chicago, IL 60624
About
Off The Street Club Youth Programs includes activities such as playing basketball, making friendship bracelets, reading, and taking part in nature studies. Participants experience art, culture, and sports around Chicago, and they also have chances to swim, camp, and enjoy nature outside of the city through Camp Mathieu.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Programs run on weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays with afternoon and early evening hours
• Price: For every $600 donated, one kid will be sent to camp.
Founded in 1900, Off The Street Club is described as Chicago’s oldest inner-city youth program for boys and girls, and more than 3,000 kids and young adults take part in its activities. The Club’s summer camp, Camp Mathieu, is a 30-acre facility located 30 miles from Chicago and is also described as a 30-acre summer camp in Wheaton where kids can swim, camp, and study nature. The program’s mission statement says that in West Garfield Park, where violence, gangs, and drugs are a daily threat, the Club offers a place where kids can learn, laugh, and play without worry, with the goal of providing a space where hope can have a home.
The leadership team includes Former Executive Director Ralph Campagna and Executive Director Arnett Morris. Community involvement includes support from the Chicago business community and a Time to Excel mentoring program where mentors read every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Edelman offices. Unique features listed for Off The Street Club Youth Programs include afterschool programs with activities ranging from basketball to art and culture experiences around Chicago, the New Horizons Program for adult chaperones to explore baseball games, museums, and more with kids, the Time to Excel reading mentoring, and the S.O.S. (Save Our Summer) campaign to provide a safe and memorable summer for 1,000 kids.
Testimonials describe the program as a place where kids are loved and safe, and as a shelter and haven that keeps kids safe and happy. One 12-year-old participant says the Club teaches him how to be a great kid, a better athlete, and how to stay out of trouble, while another 13-year-old says playing on a team builds character. Other kids say the Club allows them to be free to be a kid and to make new friends while learning to be nicer, kind, smart, and to work hard. Executive Director Arnett Morris states that Off The Street Club and Camp Mathieu were his salvation as a kid and that on the West Side, the word safety is almost non-existent.
Last updated April 18, 2026.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Programs run on weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays with afternoon and early evening hours
• Price: For every $600 donated, one kid will be sent to camp.
Founded in 1900, Off The Street Club is described as Chicago’s oldest inner-city youth program for boys and girls, and more than 3,000 kids and young adults take part in its activities. The Club’s summer camp, Camp Mathieu, is a 30-acre facility located 30 miles from Chicago and is also described as a 30-acre summer camp in Wheaton where kids can swim, camp, and study nature. The program’s mission statement says that in West Garfield Park, where violence, gangs, and drugs are a daily threat, the Club offers a place where kids can learn, laugh, and play without worry, with the goal of providing a space where hope can have a home.
The leadership team includes Former Executive Director Ralph Campagna and Executive Director Arnett Morris. Community involvement includes support from the Chicago business community and a Time to Excel mentoring program where mentors read every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Edelman offices. Unique features listed for Off The Street Club Youth Programs include afterschool programs with activities ranging from basketball to art and culture experiences around Chicago, the New Horizons Program for adult chaperones to explore baseball games, museums, and more with kids, the Time to Excel reading mentoring, and the S.O.S. (Save Our Summer) campaign to provide a safe and memorable summer for 1,000 kids.
Testimonials describe the program as a place where kids are loved and safe, and as a shelter and haven that keeps kids safe and happy. One 12-year-old participant says the Club teaches him how to be a great kid, a better athlete, and how to stay out of trouble, while another 13-year-old says playing on a team builds character. Other kids say the Club allows them to be free to be a kid and to make new friends while learning to be nicer, kind, smart, and to work hard. Executive Director Arnett Morris states that Off The Street Club and Camp Mathieu were his salvation as a kid and that on the West Side, the word safety is almost non-existent.
Last updated April 18, 2026.
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