About Us

Dedicated To Equipping Children & Parents

Mentoring Programs

Future Ties provides homework help and after school activities five days per week, as well as a summer camp when school is not in session.

Hundreds of kids participate in Future Ties’s programming each year, which includes field trips to places like the beach and a roller skating rink, arts and crafts, guest speakers, and movie nights. The academic mentorship that Future Ties provides helps young people achieve grades and test scores high enough to be admitted to test-in high schools around the city.

Our History

A Chicago Police officer, Jennifer Maddox, launched Future Ties in 2011 while serving as a security officer at Parkway Gardens during her off hours.

After noticing that young residents often caused trouble because they were bored, she convinced building management to open a basement so she could provide activities for the kids after school.

The program has since expanded to operate year-round, and Maddox hopes that one day Future Ties will be able to reach all 1,200 kids that live in the complex.

Future Ties

Our Work

Future Ties provides homework help and after school activities five days per week, as well as a summer camp when school is not in session.
Hundreds of kids participate in Future Ties’s programming each year, which includes field trips to places like the beach and a roller skating rink, arts and crafts, guest speakers, and movie nights. The academic mentorship that Future Ties provides helps young people achieve grades and test scores high enough to be admitted to test-in high schools around the city.

After School

Future Ties provides after-school programming five days per week for about 40 elementary school students. Adult volunteers, as well as young people from the community, serve as role models and tutors for participants.

In the after-school program, children receive homework help and participate in life skills workshops about topics like nutrition and conflict resolution. Participants have access to technology to build their computer skills with the supervision and guidance of adult mentors. Future Ties also uses Scholastic’s ReadAbout® literacy program and project-based learning to supplement what the children are learning in school.

Future Ties also recently launched an after-school program for middle and high school students that has many of the same components as the elementary school program. However, the program for older students includes preparation for college, including SAT and ACT tutoring, and job skills training. Older students will also have access to restorative justice programming, as many participants have been involved in the juvenile justice system, as well as talks on dating and domestic violence and other challenges that teenagers face.

Summer Camps

Future Ties also runs summer programming for elementary schoolers. Kids participate in a wide variety of recreational activities. Last summer, participants took field trips to places like the roller skating rink and the beach, attended sports camp, took tennis lessons, participated in activities at Parkway Gardens, and much more. Middle and high school students serve as counselors, providing positive role models for participants, and giving older children valuable job skills.

Mentorship

Future Ties runs a mentorship program for 50 eighth graders who attend the Dulles School of Excellence, which is located near Parkway Gardens. Participants are referred by teachers, school administrators, or Parkway Gardens staff due to truancy and poor behavior. Mentors are recruited from the Future Ties staff, residents of Parkway Gardens, and the membership of the nearby Parkway Church.

Each student meets with his or her mentor one-on-one for 90 minutes each week and also gathers monthly with all of the program participants and his or her individual group.

Students work with their mentors on a variety of topics, including goal setting, study skills, job training, and career planning. As a supplement to the one-on-one meetings with their mentors, participants will also attend expeditionary learning field trips on weekends to explore Chicago and put their skills to use. Students are also employed as counselors for Future Ties’s summer camp, where they have the opportunity to serve as positive role models for younger children.

Parents

Future Ties supports parents who live within Parkway Gardens. Future Ties conducts workshops about life skills, helps people build technology skills, conducts domestic violence assessments, and provides mentorship programming. Parents also volunteer at the after-school and summer program for elementary schoolers.