Find Your Future

We believe in helping youth become self-sufficient. Through our Find Your Future program, we match young people with employers in our community who give them a chance to build their resume, develop job readiness skills and grow their professional networks.

Find Your Future Program

The young people in our programs work hard to attend college and/or build their careers. Given their circumstances, they cannot afford to take unpaid internships or apprenticeships to build their resumes and develop their professional networks. Through partnerships with local businesses, Kaleidoscope matches youth with paid working opportunities that set them up for future vocational and financial success.

Our Find Your Future Program provides 10-week paid summer internships and vocational training for current and former youth-in-care who are attending college. When Kaleidoscopes’ clients enroll in this program, we pair them with employers throughout Chicago and Illinois who are committed to offering valuable work experiences for youth. They are also invited to participate in resume workshops, mock interviews, team-building activities, community volunteering and a professional etiquette dinner. With these career opportunities, youth gain valuable experience, build their resumes and make professional connections within their chosen field.

Interns are matched to companies that align with their academic concentration and summer geographic location. Our recent internship partners include:

  • RELO Direct
  • Habitat for Humanity Chicago
  • TransUnion
  • State Representative Hurley
  • State Representative LaPointe
  • Brightspark Travel
  • Nine Network Public Media
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters
  • Center for Youth and Family Solutions
  • Valid USA
  • Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
  • LaRabida Children’s Hospital
  • Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
  • Chicago Police Department
  • Museum of Science and Industry
  • Cook County Juvenile Courts
  • Women’s Center of Carbondale
  • McLean County Public Defender
  • Adam’s County Sheriff
  • Humanity First Illinois
  • Grand Prairie Friends
  • Western Illinois Museum

Our Impact

  • In 2019, we secured 10-week internships for 24 current and former foster youth through our Find Your Future program.
  • 100 percent of participants in Find Your Future identified new skills that they gained from the program, and 83 percent improved their financial self-sufficiency.

How You Can Help

There are multiple ways to get involved with Find Your Future. As an employer or professional, you can volunteer your time or sponsor Find Your Future internships, professional development opportunities and more for young people. See Sponsorship levels and learn more here.

Young adults in our vocational programs need professional attire to help them succeed in the workplace. We accept donations of new or gently used suits, slacks, dress shirts, blouses, nylons, dress shoes and other clothing to help our youth succeed. To host a clothing drive or make a donation, contact us.

For additional information or to get involved, contact [email protected].