To participate in an After School Matters program, you must:

• Be a resident of Chicago and attend a Chicago High School.
• For Apprenticeship programs: Teens must be 14 years old by September 1, 2026.

• For Internship programs: Teens must be 16 years old by June 24, 2026.

Instructors will communicate directly with you as they finalize their program rosters throughout the recruitment period.

The instructor will add you to their program roster and you will receive an offer via email. You must accept within 72 hours before the offer expires. You may also accept an offer by logging into your Teen Dashboard.

ALL teens who apply to a program can check the status of their application via their Teen Dashboard.

• Application Submitted: You have successfully applied to this program. The instructor is still reviewing all applications and a placement decision has not been made yet.
• Enrolled: You have accepted an offer to this program.
• No Offer: This program is full and you did not receive an offer. If a spot opens (for example, a selected participant can no longer attend), you could still be considered for placement.

Reach out directly to the instructors of the programs you applied to (visible on the Teen Dashboard) via email to introduce yourself, check in on the status of your application, and share the reasons why you want to be in their program.

Instructors will email your ASM Gmail account so make sure you are checking it regularly. If you need a password reset, please Contact Us and select Teen Technical Support.

You may apply to up to six programs at once per program session.

When completing your application, have your CPS ID number ready (if applicable), the email address you check most often, and/or phone number. A valid Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is accepted but not required for your application.

Teens applying to Internships must be at least 16-years-old and must complete employment verification requirements, I-9 and W-4 forms, after you have been placed in a program.

If you do not have a Social Security number or ITIN, you can still participate in some After School Matters programs! Please Contact Us for support. 

No, you may only participate in one program per program session. We do encourage you to participate in more programs in future sessions.

Most programs require an in-person or virtual interview. This is a time to connect with the instructor, share why you want to participate in the program, what other obligations you may have during the session, how the instructor can best support you, and any questions.

Do not accept an offer unless you are sure you will attend.  

Once the offer is sent, you will have 72 hours to decide and accept the offer. Please reach out to the instructor or Program staff if you have questions or would like more information about the program.

Follow these steps:

1. Use your Application ID to log into your Teen Dashboard under “Edit an Existing Application.”
2. Search for the program you want to apply to from the list below.
3. Add the program to your application.
4. Click “next” all the way through to fully submit the application.
5. Be on the lookout for enrollment offers in your email or your Teen Dashboard.

Follow these steps:

1. Use your Application ID to log into your Teen Dashboard under “Edit an Existing Application.”
2. Got to the Application Status page
3. Click the purple “Remove” button next to the program you wish to remove from your application.

Note: You can remove a program from your application as long as you were not made an offer to the program. Once you remove a program from your application, you will not be able to re-add it.

If you wish to switch programs, contact your school liaison or Program staff asap. All program switches should take place by the first week of a program session.

All teens that meet the stipend eligibility requirements will receive a stipend based on the program level and frequency. Learn more about Teen Pay, here.

After School Matters will issue you an Gmail account 1- 2 business days after you accept an offer to an ASM program for the first time. Returning ASM teens should already have an account. 

Instructors will email your ASM Gmail account, so make sure you are checking it regularly.

If you need a password reset, please Contact Us and select Teen Technical Support.