Englewood mother provides kids with safe space through after-school program

CHICAGO - Every day after school, a blue van can be seen driving around the streets of Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. It’s part of a commitment LaTanya Johnson has made to that community since 2013. 

Johnson is from Englewood and feels it's her calling to give back, through her after-school and tutoring program: "LaTanya & The Youth of Englewood." Although the program is free, there is an application process. The goal is to give structure to kids who need a safe place to go after school.

"There’s parents that say, ‘Hey, I know there’s a program,’" Johnson said. "You’re at work and your kids don’t have to be at home alone by themselves. There’s a place for the kids to go. If this is what [parents] need to be able to work and do what you need to do, that’s where I come in. I’m here to help the parents and the kids."

A 2021 study by citydata.com shows that about 50 percent of those living in Englewood never completed high school. Which is directly tied to the median household income of just under $29,000. Kids who grow up in the neighborhood have the odds stacked against them.

Johnson has faced similar challenges finding a home for her after-school program. There have been several locations over the last decade, but due to a lack of funding, they haven’t been able to find a permanent home. So for now, the program is back to where it originated, at the Ogden Park and Recreation, where she’s able to use an empty classroom for free.

"You see those smiling faces over there, they keep me going," Johnson said. "There are times I’m picking these kids up on the bus and I didn’t have transportation. I was picking these kids up on the bus and taking them home. So that gets me home at 10 and then I got to get up and get my kids ready for school."

LaTanya & The Youth of Englewood | Provided

That sacrifice is setting an example for current students and alumni of the after-school program.

"I will remember everyone who helped me," said current student Jakarri Morgan. "I’ll feel good about it and I’ll probably come back here to check on some other kids when I grow up. I’ll help them out, just like she did for me."

Dwayne Duckworth is an alumnus of the program. He said the program helped him reach his goal of going to college, where he attended Cornell University.

"It allowed me to keep my innocence," Duckworth said. "I had a lot of friends who couldn’t do that. They grew up getting into gang violence and things that they shouldn’t have been in. They’re still in those things to do this day. They haven’t grown out of that yet, if they ever will. I had a best friend who lived down the street from me in middle school, who was in gang violence. Unfortunately, he passed away. That was another huge sin that let me know, I don’t want to be in that at all."