Every city has a story it doesn't like to tell. In Chicago, that story involves young people talented, capable, full of potential who fall through the cracks of a system that was never designed to catch them. Gang involvement. Dropout rates. Unemployment. A cycle that repeats itself generation after generation. Automotive Mentoring Group exists to break that cycle. The Idea Behind the Impact Founded in 2007, AMG started with a simple but powerful belief: that a young person w

How Hands-On Education Is Changing Lives in Chicago Chicago is a city of extraordinary potential. It is also a city facing an extraordinary challenge. A landmark 2025 report from the University of Illinois Chicago's Great Cities Institute revealed a sobering reality: in parts of Chicago, more than four out of five teens are out of work. In Chicago's South, West, and Southeast Side neighborhoods, jobless rates often exceed 80% for teens and over 14% of Black 16- to 19-year-old

In every community, there are young people looking for direction, encouragement, and opportunity. At Automotive Mentoring Group (AMG), those opportunities take shape in a truly unique way—through hands-on automotive restoration paired with mentorship that builds confidence, life skills, and purpose. AMG is more than a workshop. It’s a place where relationships are built, futures are shaped, and lives are changed. Why Their Work Matters Many of the youth who come through AMG’s

There is a 1933 Packard convertible sitting in a garage on the south side of Chicago. It came in rough, faded, forgotten, the kind of car most people would walk past without a second glance. But in the hands of the young men and women at the Automotive Mentoring Group, that car is becoming something remarkable. Panel by panel. Weld by weld. One careful, patient hour at a time. And so are they. More Than Metal When people first hear about AMG, they often think it's a program