Programs like the Chicago Area Project offer seasonal employment, however, teenagers at Friday's forum say it's not enough.
"Now we're back to square one. The end of the summer isn't the end of life for these youth and a lot of us have kids, have families, have responsibilities. I feel as if a lot of that would change if we had two things, and that's more time and more funding," said one teenager in attendance.
The Chicago Urban League wants lawmakers to set aside $5 billion to help provide teens find jobs.
