Get Involved

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Summer Day
Join us in supporting Chicago youth through academic classes, arts programming, field trips, and more!
APPLY TO BE A VOLUNTEER HERE
Summer Day runs from Monday, June 23 – Friday, August 1, 2025. You can sign up to volunteer for one day or multiple days. You can volunteer for the whole time during a shift or for just a part of it. Opportunities are very flexible.

Summer Day Volunteer Opportunities Include:

  • 1st-6th Grade Academic Classroom Assistance
    Mondays-Thursdays, 8:30 am-12:00pm ​
    Volunteer in a small group or one-to-one setting, helping students with reading, writing, and math during their academic classroom time. Our classroom teachers will assist with lesson plans and guide you through the process.
  • 7th-9th Grade Career Prep Classroom Assistance
    Mondays-Thursdays, 8:30 am-12:00pm
    Volunteer in a small group or one-to-one setting, helping students explore careers, write resumes, build professional etiquette skills, and more.  Our classroom teachers will assist with lesson plans and guide you through the process. 
  • 1st-9th Grade Arts and Enrichment Class Assistance
    Mondays-Thursdays, 12:00pm-3:00pm
    Get your creative juices flowing by volunteering in one of our afternoon classes: art, dance, acting, singing, digital music production, physical fitness, meditation, and more.  You will support the students with their activities, share ideas and talents, and assist the instructors with the set-up and clean-up of materials.    ​
  • Field Trip Chaperone​
    Fridays, 9am-3pm
    This summer we will be taking many fun and educational trips around Chicago.  We visit Ravinia Festival each year to experience a classical music concert and trips to museums and a waterpark are always on our schedule.  Join us for one or all of our fabulous Friday Field Trips!

Question? Contact Mark Dennison, Program Manager at mdennison@chicagolights.org / 312.274.3828.

Help students get a jump start on the school year while having a safe and fun summer. By participating in this program, 94% of our students improved or maintained their language arts skills, and 96% improved or maintained their math skills.

I volunteer at Summer Day because I love the kids. A certain portion of them appear to be quite a bit behind, and I am able to work with them during the summer and help them get less far behind. It’s a good feeling to help these kids with their education.

Cathy Flaa, Volunteer, Chicago Lights Summer Day