# The ARK Entrepreneurial

> Youth entrepreneurship in Chicago for ages 5 to 24. A summer camp and an after-school program in Pilsen where young people learn to build a business, sell what they make, and — as teenagers — are paid to do real work for real clients.

The ARK Entrepreneurial is a nonprofit founded in 2018, tax ID 42-3240734.
Its tagline is "Inspire. Educate. Transform.".

## Facts

- Ages served: 5 to 24.
- Locations: Pilsen — 2538 S. Blue Island, Chicago, IL 60608 (open now); North Lawndale — 2221 S. Lawndale Ave., Chicago, IL 60623 (coming soon).
- Phone: 773-893-5966. Email: info@arkec.org.
- Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
- Cost: Entrepreneur Summer Camp is $45 a day, the After-School Program is $25 a day, payable bi-weekly, monthly or in full.
- Teenagers are not charged. Apprentices aged 14–15 receive a stipend and interns aged 16–24 are paid $17.04 an hour.
- Financial assistance is available through Illinois Action for Children and through ARK Fee Assistance.
- Enrollment is handled in Procare, linked from the Programs page.

## Pathways

The four stages a young person moves through, by age.

- **Baby Boss** (Ages 5–9): Creativity, money basics and a first taste of selling — learned through play.
- **Mini Boss** (Ages 10–13): A business plan, marketing, funding to make the product, and a stall at the Expo to sell it.
- **Big Boss** (Ages 14–18): Advanced business and career skills, an apprenticeship, and the option to register a real LLC.
- **Be Entrepreneurial** (Ages 18–24): Workforce preparation and entrepreneurship, ending in paid work for real clients.

## Programs

How the pathways are delivered.

- **Entrepreneur Summer Camp** (Ages 5–24): Ten weeks each summer filled with weekly trips — the zoo, museums, skating, and more — alongside entrepreneurial enrichment classes and activities, capped by our **Youth Boss Expo**, where campers showcase the businesses they created during camp.
- **After-School Program** (Ages 5–24): The half-day program: year-round, Monday through Friday, 3:00 – 7:00 pm. Entrepreneurial enrichment classes, tutoring, arts, and many other activities that turn after-school hours into boss hours.

## Pages

- [The ARK Entrepreneurial](https://arkec.org/): Chicago youth entrepreneurship for ages 5–24 — skills, mentorship, and real-world experience through The ARK's Summer Camp and After-School programs.
- [Mission & Our Story](https://arkec.org/about.html): How The ARK Entrepreneurial grew from a 2019 vision into a comprehensive youth entrepreneurial development organization in Chicago.
- [Programs](https://arkec.org/programs.html): Mini-Boss, Big Boss, and Be Entrepreneurial pathways at The ARK — delivered through Summer Camp and After-School programming in Chicago.
- [Donate](https://arkec.org/donate.html): Invest in the next generation — support skills, mentorship, transportation, and student-led ventures at The ARK Entrepreneurial.
- [Hire a Mini-Boss](https://arkec.org/hire.html): Hire an ARK Youth-Boss for web design, graphic design, photography, music, app development, and more — mentor-supervised, real work.
- [Contact](https://arkec.org/contact.html): Contact The ARK Entrepreneurial in Chicago — call 773-893-5966, email info@arkec.org, or visit us in Pilsen. Ask about enrollment, partnerships or hiring.
- [Our Team](https://arkec.org/team.html): Meet the coaches, teachers and strategists behind The ARK Entrepreneurial — helping young people in Chicago build businesses and get paid for real work.
- [Board of Directors](https://arkec.org/board.html): The Board of Directors of The ARK Entrepreneurial — governance and guidance for our mission of creating opportunity through entrepreneurial development.
- [Impact](https://arkec.org/impact.html): What an independent evaluator found: 84% average daily attendance, 82% program completion, and teens travelling from 21 Chicago community areas.
- [Help Build The ARK](https://arkec.org/get-involved.html): Four ways to help build The ARK: give, volunteer with young people, be an ambassador, or partner with us. Every one starts with a name and an email.
- [ARK Elevate](https://arkec.org/elevate.html): The professional development division of The ARK Entrepreneurial — workshops, training and coaching for educators, organizations, parents and individuals.
- [ARK New Development](https://arkec.org/development.html): The ARK is restoring a shuttered school in North Lawndale into a campus for young people — early childhood through young adulthood. Opening 2028.
- [Financial Assistance](https://arkec.org/financial-assistance.html): Financial assistance at The ARK: Illinois Action for Children, ARK Fee Assistance, and what Summer Camp and After-School cost. Teenagers attend free.

## Notes

- Formerly called "The ARK Entrepreneurial Center". Similarly named organizations are unaffiliated — this one is at 2538 S. Blue Island, Chicago, on 773-893-5966.
- Forms on this site create a contact record. Donations are handled by Givebutter and enrollment by Procare, both off-site.