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AND THOUSANDS OF TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS CALL CHICAGO THEIR HOME, BUT NOT ALL OF THE AREA'S YOUTH GET IN THE CORPORATE UNITY TO EXPLORE THE HEART OF THE CITY.

ONE OF IS A SHUNT IS WORKING TO CHANGE THAT BY PARTNERING WITH BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO HOST DOWNTOWN DAY.

THE EVENT IS THIS SATURDAY AND AIMS TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS TO EXPLORE THE LOOP.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE JAMAL CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF MY BLOCK.

MY HOOD, MY SON, MY CITY, MIKE.

WELL, WASHINGTON AND EXPLORES PROGRAMMING INTERN AT MY BLOCK.

MY HOOD, MY CITY AND MICHAEL EDWARDS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CHICAGO LOOP ALLIANCE.

THANK YOU GUYS OFFER JOINING US.

WHAT A FUN EVENT.

YOU KNOW, JAMAL, I HAVE INTERVIEWED YOU BEFORE.

YOUR ORGANIZATION IS VERY FOCUSED ON THE USE IN GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITIES.

TELL ME ABOUT WHERE THIS IDEA TO HOST DOWNTOWN DAY CAME FROM.

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING LIKE WELL, IDEA CAME FROM VOLUNTEER TO COOK COUNTY JAIL AT THE JAIL, THE RESIDENTS WERE ASKED ME WHERE I WORKED AND I SAID I WORK AT A TRAINING FROM DOWNTOWN THIS IS TOWER.

I EXPECTED THEM TO WHAT THE TRAINING FOR WHAT YOU DO IN THEIR WAS ASSIST.

OUR AND HOLD UP, YOU KNOW, INTO THE SEARS TOWER, HOW MANY PEOPLE IN JAIL BUSINESSES?

HOW RAISE YOUR HAND?

YOU KNOW, I DID NOTHING.

I THINK PEOPLE WANT TO JOHN HANKE BRAZEN AND WEST SAID NOTHING THAT THAT KIND MY MIND.

SO THAT'S WHAT I REALIZE.

IT HAD DOWN TOWN THAT HAD WAY FOR A TAXI HAD IN ELEVATOR.

ONE KID SAID HE HAD BEEN DOWNTOWN BENEATH DOWNTOWN WAS OUT OF TIME.

AND SO I WAS TAKEN TO A LITTLE WINDOW AS A THERE'S A TOWER AS 100 FOOTBALL FIELDS HIGH THE HANCOCK BUILDING AS 100 FOOTBALL FIELDS HIKE YOUR CITY?

YEAH.

I MEAN, JUST LIKE MARKET HOUSE BILL THAT YOU CAN WITH OUR KENTUCKY ON THIS AND THAT'S HOW IT STARTED.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS IMPORTANT TO TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL?

WELCOME TO THE I JUST IMAGINE WHAT HIS YOUNG GIRL FROM LIKE NORTH LAWNDALE.

I'M PLACE WHERE HOPE OFTEN OVERSHADOWED BY ADVERSITY.

AND NOW SHE'S STANDING DOWNTOWN LOOKING AT SKYLINE.

SHE DOESN'T SEE JUST A BIG BUILDING A SHE SEES A HER FUTURE IS BRIGHT AND FULL OPPORTUNITY A SHE CAN SEE THIS A LEADER JUST BY THE END DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN REPRESENTS OPPORTUNITY AND THEY ONLY IS THEIR LIMITS WHERE YOU WERE JUST TELLING ME THAT YOU STARTED, YOU KNOW, JAMAL SAYS YOU'RE 14 YEARS OLD.

NOW YOU'RE 23 YEARS OLD.

YOU'VE GROWN FROM NT TO A MENTOR AT THE ORGANIZATION.

NOW, TELL ME WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU TO STAY AND CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED TO USE.

THE MAIN THING WAS ROAMING UFA.

SO AND I SEEN A LOT OF KIDS KNOW JUST LIKE ME AND A THEY CAN GET SOMETHING TO THE SCREEN, STANDING THIS UP TO SOME DIFFERENT THINGS.

BUT PATIENTS AND IBM IS PROBE NOW WHERE HAS DONE FOR THINGS OFF AND ON THE DIFFERENT LEVELS TO OFFER THEM I'M JUST WATCHING KANSAS AND ALSO NOW I WANT TO INVESTMENTS ARE FROM AN ISRAELI WOMAN.

WANT TO GIVE BACK WHAT WOULD YOU SAY EXCEPT TO YOU ABOUT WHAT IT CAN TO EXCITED ABOUT WE'LL GET INSIGHT ABOUT DOWNTOWN REALLY JUST AN A REALLY JUST BEEN ABLE SEE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC DIFFERENT CULTURES, MAN DOWN TIME, EVERYBODY BE WELCOMING WHEN I GOT OUT, I REALLY GOING TO SHE'S POLLS ARE GOING YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH GREAT GROUP.

AND MICHAEL DOWNTOWN DAY OFFERS BOAT CRUISES MUSEUM, AXES AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS.

CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE ITINERARY?

SURE.

FOLKS COME DOWN A IN THERE'S A THERE'S A KICK OFF AT 10 O'CLOCK.

JAMAL BE HOSTING THAT WITH OTHERS AT THE HARRIS THEATER.

THE KIDS GET A $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO 50 CARD.

ARE THESE FREE FREE.

YOU CAN A DOLLAR AND WE HAVE 40 BUSINESSES THAT HAVE SIGNED UP IN THE LOOP AND ALONG THE MAGNIFICENT MILE TO OFFER DISCOUNTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE KIDS TO SPEND THAT CASH ON SOMETHING FOR EVERYTHING FROM FOOD TO CLOTHING, TO EXPERIENCES AND THE EXPERIENCES WE THINK ARE REALLY SPECIAL.

THERE'S A LOT OF ART GALLERIES.

THERE'S A LOT OF NEW KINDS OF EXPERIENCES, THE MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS TO DO THAT THEY REALLY NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE HIM.

AND TO MY WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE IN JOURNEY GOING INTO THE BUSINESSES AND TALKING TO THEM SHARING YOUR IDEA WHERE THEY WERE COMING TO YOU KNOW, MICHAEL WAS RIGHT AWAY.

YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE I'M THEY REALIZE THAT TAKING KIDS FROM SOUTHWEST SIDE DOWNTOWN IS NOT JUST OF A SIGHTSEEING.

IT'S ABOUT OPEN THE DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY WIDE ENOUGH FOR EVERY KID, A WALK-THROUGH.

IT'S ABOUT WE ALSO A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.

SO EVERY KID ALSO THERE'S THAT COLD CAN NUMB.

YOU KNOW, DREAM.

BUT WITHOUT YOU JUMPED ON BOARD BY, FOR EXAMPLE, CANNON DESIGN, ONE OF THE GREAT ARCHITECTURE FIRMS IN CHICAGO'S OPENING THEIR PLACE OF THE KIDS CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IN THIS ENORMOUS BUILDING THAT THEY WALK BY MAYBE THEY COULD BE THEY COULD BE ARCHITECTS.

THIS IS WHAT ARCHITECTS TO THIS OFFICE LOOKS LIKE.

POWERFUL.

ALMOST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY COULD ABSOLUTELY EXPOSING THEM TO THAT.

SO THEY GO BACK AND THEY YOU KNOW WHAT?

I COULD BE THERE TO THAT IS MY DOWNTOWN'S EVERYBODY'S DOWNTOWN.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHEN THEY WANT LIKE LAST YEAR FOR ASKED WHEN I SAY IN A LOT OF KIDS GOING TO DIFFERENT SYSTEM WE OPENED, THE MAY ENJOY EVEN ME FAST AS WHEN I WAS IN PROGRAM GOING TO DEFEND.

THIS IS THE TIME THAT I CAN DO OR GO IN A DIFFERENT BALL GAMES.

AND WITH TIME THAT YOU FELT THAT YOU WERE EXCLUDED LIKE YOU SHOULDN'T REPLACE?

I MOST PLACES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PROGRAM I HAVE DONE WITH MOST PLACES I HAVE BEEN THEY OPENED THEIR DOORS UP TO US WITH OPEN HANDS.

THEY ALWAYS ALLOWED US TO DO WHAT WE NEEDED TO BE.

LOT OF FOLKS, JUST TASTE JUST OPEN UP THROUGH THE I FACED MANY PEOPLE TO LAST YEAR LAST YEAR WAS BY 160 TEENAGERS.

AND THIS YEAR WE DOUBLE IS ALREADY.

2100 SIGN-UPS WERE TAKING WALK-UPS.

2100 SIGN-UPS.

YEAH.

ONE SUNDAY, A MANY MORE TO SEE THAT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE SIGNED UP.

YOU KNOW, HOW DOES MAKE YOU FEEL?

STARTED I CAN IMAGINE STARTED FROM AN YEAH.

IT'S BECOMING A REALITY FOR THE SECOND YEAR.

YEAH.

IDEAS A POWERFUL WEAPONS AND TOOLS THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.

WE NEED GOOD IDEAS IN CHICAGO, YOU KNOW, AND SO I'M I'M SO EXCITED.

WE HAVE DOUBLE THE STUDENTS.

WE ALSO HAVE DOUBLE THE BUSINESSES ON THE CAUSE FOLKS AT LOOP ALLIES AND MAGNIFICENT MILE ASSOCIATION.

WE WENT FROM 6 BUSINESSES LAST YEAR TO OVER 40 THAT OPENED THEIR DOORS ISSUE.

I MEAN, IT'S IT'S IT'S WAS IMPORTANT TO YOU TO BRING OTHER BUSINESSES AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY.

WANT PEOPLE GO TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AS WHAT WE WE WANT THE KIDS TO KNOW THAT THE LOOP MAGNIFICENT MILE BELONGS TO THEM, TOO.

AND SO THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO REALLY DEMONSTRATE THAT INVITING COME DOWN, GET A LITTLE BIT OF CAST OF THE CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE FUN THAN MAYBE JUST WALKING AROUND.

YOU CAN REALLY EXPERIENCE THE CITY AND SEE THEMSELVES HERE TO THAT DAY AND THEN THE TO THE FUTURE.

WE'RE REALLY HAPPY ABOUT IT.

WELL, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES.

I MEAN, YOU GREW UP AGAIN WHEN YOU'RE SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP LIKE WHAT WAS IT WAS A FEELING LIKE LAST YEAR.

YOU KNOW, WHAT WERE THEY TELLING YOU?

MOST CAST THEY HAVE FUN AND LOVE, BUT IT CAN JUST LIKE HE SAID WHEN YOU GO DOWNTOWN AND YOU GO TO A SPEARS LIKE DOWNTOWN, DO YOU GET ALLOWED AT THE SCENE AS WELL AS ONE OFF?

AND THEN WHEN YOU FILE LIKE THE BLOCK YOU FROM WHAT THE LITTLE BUBBLE THAT AND WHEN YOU GO DOWNTOWN, MY DOWNTOWN THERE.

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FREE STUFF.

YOU'RE GOING GET OFFENDED CART.

YOU CAN GO TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT MISSES LIKE ICE AND OPEN AN OFFICE TOLD HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE PART OF SOMETHING LIKE ME I MADE A LOT OF PHONE CALLS FINANCE PROGRAM TO YOU.

YOU CAN'T.

YOU'RE LEARNING HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE.

YEAH.

SO THERE'S REALLY PHONE CALLS AND JURORS, SOCIAL MEDIA IS A BIG MAKE WEATHER RIGHT NOW AND TO THE WORLD.

JUST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PHONE CALLS AND JUST GETTING BACK OUT OF HIS CREASE AND TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE WITH WE JUST NOT GOING DO EVENT.

WE'RE GOING HAVE FUN, WHICH WE CALLED THE WHAT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY A VENT.

AND AFTER YOU THOUGHT OF HIM, SHE THIS IS WE HOPE FOR FOR SURE LANDMARK.

WELL, HE'S ALWAYS BEEN.

YOU KNOW, I AT FAVORITE.

WE ALWAYS MY FAVORITE.

I THINK THE CEOS ORGANIZATION RIGHT NOW.

IT'S OUT THERE GUY'S GOING TO BE.

CEOS ARE AN ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN THAT WAS A MINIMUM.

THEY'RE PROUD OF HIM HIS FAMILY.

AND, YOU YOU LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR INVITATION.

WE I WOULD JUST SAY TO THE YOUTH ARE LISTENING OR THAT DOWNTOWN DOES MORE THAN JUST ABOUT A JUST COMING DOWNTOWN FOR A DAY TRIP.

ABOUT MAKING A STATEMENT OF RESILIENCE AND DETERMINATION.

IT'S REALLY ABOUT LETTING THE CITY KNOW THAT WHERE YOU COME FROM, NO DETERMINE HOW FAR YOU YEAH, WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BIAS DONATED.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO THAT IS EXPENSIVE.

IT'S HARD THANK WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE?

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE CITY PART OF THE CITY IS ON CHATHAM BECAUSE CHINA WAS IT'S NOT A COMMUNITY AS A STATE OF MIND.

AND I STAYED IN LINE YOU BLOCK CLUBS.

I JUST LOVE.

I LOVE CHATTING WITH PLACE CALL HOME.

THAT'S ALSO THE OF THE RIVERWALK.

AND IT'S OVER A NEW MINUTES WHERE EVERYBODY COMES TOGETHER AND IT'S NOT JUST FOLKS AROUND TOWN THAT MIGHT BE COMING A DISTANCE TO COME TO THE BEAN, THE FOLKS THAT ACTUALLY LIVE AND WORK DOWNTOWN, THEY REALLY KIND OF FREQUENT.

THE PLACE JUST OPENED EVERYBODY AND SO MUCH