Chicago Park District Opens Summer Job Applications in Time for First of Four Teen Opportunity Fairs for Ages 13 & Up

CHICAGO – The Chicago Park District announces the 10th annual Teen Opportunity Fairs happening in February and March at four locations throughout the city – Warren Park, Malcolm X College, Brighton Park Community Campus/ Park 596, and Kennedy-King College. Teens and parents will attend to explore summer job opportunities and additional spring and summer programs happening in the parks for Chicago youth ages 13 and beyond. The summer employment opportunities soliciting interested candidates include Summer Recreation Leader, Lifeguard, Junior Laborer and Attendant.

Last year, the Park District hired more than 2,600 youth under the age of 25; a 4% increase from 2024. In addition, a strong response to the call for summer lifeguards allowed the Park District to open all beaches and pools seven days a week for the first time since pre-COVID. The expanded pool schedule is an increase from 2023 when pools were only open five days a week, and in 2024 when they were open 6 days a week. We also received 48% more lifeguard applications in 2025 than in 2024.We attribute our successful hiring efforts to increased marketing and outreach, and our innovative Lifeguard Explorers Training Program. In 2025, we teamed up with After School Matters to expand the stipend-based training program to three additional park sites and increased access to this program citywide to 7 park locations where attendees are welcome to learn the life-saving skills necessary to complete the Lifeguards Skills Test and become a summer lifeguard.

Learn more about the Chicago Park District Summer Jobs at www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/summer-jobs.

“The Teen Opportunity Fairs aim to empower young people by helping them learn about job openings and connecting them to job readiness programs available to them in their communities,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa. “We’re committed to being a lead employer and the largest single employer of youth by creating pathways to careers and providing our younger generations with access to the resources and knowledge they need to thrive.”

Teen Opportunity Fairs take place at the following dates/locations:

•    Saturday, February 21, 2026, 10 am – 1pm | Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Ave.
•    Saturday, February 28, 2026, 10 am – 1pm | Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd.
•    Saturday, March 7, 2026, 10 am – 1pm (Deaf & Hard of Hearing Fair) | Brighton Park Community Campus, 4830 S. Western Ave.
•    Saturday, March 14, 2026, 10 am – 1pm | Kennedy-King College, 6301 S. Halsted St.

In addition to learning about available employment opportunities, there will also be park representatives and other organizations on site to showcase teen offerings in sports, arts and culture, and to connect with parents in a welcoming, teen-centered environment.

Last year, the Park District was excited to add the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Fair to the series. This event is open to all Deaf and Hard of Hearing high school teens and students currently enrolled in Transition Programs. At this fair, teens can learn about future opportunities such as college, trainings and employment.

Other highlights this year include Park District staff helping students through the application process for the RIT (Rec Leader in Training) and CIT (Counselor in Training) paid stipend-based programs. Details on summer teen camps and planned spring and summer activities will also be available.

Below is additional information on the seasonal jobs being offered this Summer. Seasonal Recreation Leader, Junior Laborer and Attendant do not require prior work experience.

Recreation Leaders
2026 Pay Rate: $17.77/hour
Summer Recreation Leaders guide enriching activities and fun games with children and teens, and develop valuable management, and program/event planning skills. Employees can count on a flexible schedule that allows them to enjoy evenings and weekends off. More than 230 park locations will offer six-week day camp, and serve over 25,000 campers, which allows applicants to work near their homes and/or to explore new areas of the city. The commitment for this position is for six-weeks, from mid-June to early August. Candidates, 16 and older, can apply at chicagoparkdistrict.com/jobs.

Junior Laborers
2026 Pay Rate: $17.77/hour
A perfect candidate for the Junior Laborer position would enjoy being outdoors, visiting a variety of neighborhoods and learning about the landscaping world. Our Junior Laborer team helps maintain the parkland that is used by millions of park visitors during the summer. As the city’s lead green agency, Junior Laborers gain entry-level experience in landscape maintenance to help sustain our flourishing green landscape of nearly 9,000 acres. Apply for this position and build skills in trade jobs and work outdoors in nature as a Junior Laborer this summer at chicagoparkdistrict.com/jobs. Candidates must be 16 and older. These positions start as early as April and run through June.

Lifeguards
2026 Pay Rate: $20.50/hour
Lifeguards are the front line of safety and are essential to park pool and beach operations. Over the past two summers, the Chicago Park District has successfully opened all 22 beaches and 77 pools as a result of recruiting and training some of Chicago’s most skills swimmers to join our world-class lifeguarding service. This year, we are on track to continue that trend. Applicants must be strong swimmers and demonstrate their skills by passing the Park District’s swim skills test at one of several assessments being offered in the coming months. Candidates will have access to a full schedule of Swim Test dates upon completing the Lifeguard application. The next test will be offered Friday, February 27, 2026 at 4:30 pm at Ellis Park, 3520 S. Cottage Grove Ave. After fulfilling the swim test requirements, candidates will be assigned to an American Red Cross Blended Learning Waterfront Lifeguard Training Course. The Chicago Park District will provide participants with a $400 stipend for completing the course, and receiving the necessary certification. Apply at chicagoparkdistrict.com/lifeguards.

Additional Positions include:

Attendant
Attendants are essential to our parks and help maintain our facilities clean and orderly for visitors to use when attending an event or program in our parks. They are also critical to our summer maintenance operations response and assist with waste disposal and overall cleanliness on a daily basis. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Learn more at chicagoparkdistrict.com/jobs.

Special Recreation Leader & Inclusion Aide
Special Recreation Leaders lead recreation activities and games for children and adults with intellectual disabilities during our summer camp experiences like fun and games, sports skills and drills, and arts & crafts. This is the perfect job for individuals interested in exploring employment opportunities in this field, and enhancing skill development, encouraging socialization, and promoting independence for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Candidates must be 16 and older. These positions run from mid-June to early August. Inclusion Aides must be 18 years old and over. Learn more at chicagoparkdistrict.com/jobs.