Englewood has at least 13,500 young people between the age of 16-24. At 18.1% of the total Englewood population, this is the largest sized age-range of any age-range in Chicago. It is also higher than Chicago’s average of 15.1% for the 16-24 age-range (2010 U.S. Census).

As a not-for-profit organization focused on land and cultural preservation, we are creating a year-round education program that can teach cooperative economics, personal wellness and more.

Today, Chicago's greater Englewood community is plagued with some of the city's highest reported rates of unemployment, violent crime, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy and school dropout. Over the past several years alone, this primarily African American neighborhood has seen hundreds of homicides with victims of all ages, even as early as infancy. Currently nearly 43% of Englewood residents live below the poverty line, with the average household income being only $11,993, and the unemployment rate among adults in the area remains at 23%. Continually finding oneself surrounded by violence, drug abuse and poverty such as this can have a damaging effect on the resiliency of those impacted, particularly children and youth. Research has shown that the more trauma a young person experiences in their lives (as seen with Imagine Englewood Ifs primary service population), the more likely they are to face the following issues in adulthood. Factors such as these not only pose a future risk to the health and livelihood of youth and adults. This is why ongoing, accessible and affordable educational programs are essential.