Every year the 2024 Chicago Marathon is a celebration of joy, community, and the power of play, drawing thousands of people out for the fun. Yet, in the very neighborhoods that host this iconic event, many Chicago youth and families still lack access to sports and play opportunities. This year, our Charity team is lacing…
The morning after the election, coaches from the Chicagoland area came together for the 2nd annual Sports-Based Youth Development Practitioners’ Summit at the Breakthrough FamilyPlex on the west side. This event will take place annually as a social-professional opportunity for program staff to learn about how their work fits into the larger landscape of sports…
Our Take the Lead retreat at William Blair was a huge success. Friday morning, the city was buzzing in anticipation of the Cubs World Series parade. That did not stop 160 of our finest Team Captains from having a great experience at the William Blair Headquarters in downtown Chicago, even though classes were not in…
On Friday, October 21st, over 100 Urban Initiatives participants from Jahn, North River, Howe, Bateman, and Jordan took a trip to Wilmette to play in the 16th Wilmette Crosstown. One of the longest running UI events, the Wilmette Crosstown demonstrates one of the hallmarks of our programs: using sport and play to bridge communities. As UI teams arrived at…
The 11th Annual Soccer Ball Presented by Allstate, January 27 at Morgan Manufacturing in Chicago is Urban Initiatives’ annual benefit. The event draws over 1,000 people from the Chicagoland area from various professional, academic, and artistic backgrounds for an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and celebration. In 2016, the Soccer Ball raised nearly $600,000 to…
REC Coordinators are vital to Urban Initiatives’ mission of empowering Chicago’s youth to become agents of community change through academic success, healthy living, and leadership development. They drive systematic change by connecting stakeholders and strengthening the social fabric of the community. Meet Dorrian, one of UI’s newest REC Coordinators! Basic info: Name, birthday, where you last went…
REC Coordinators are vital to Urban Initiatives’ mission of empowering Chicago’s youth to become agents of community change through academic success, healthy living, and leadership development. They drive systematic change by connecting stakeholders and strengthening the social fabric of the community. Meet Anna, one of UI’s newest REC Coordinators! Basic info: Name, birthday, where you last went…
The 14th Annual Urban Initiatives Halloween Bash was a huge success. For the third straight year, Chop Shop and 1st Ward Events welcomed us back to not only have a ton of fun but to support UI’s sports-based youth development programming. Over 400 friends joined us for what some call, “The best Halloween party in…
The weather had begun to cool, but the chill in the air did not stop Urban Initiatives’ Work to Play students and a group of volunteers from PwC from traveling to Chicago Indoor Sports on October 21 for a Friday afternoon Game Day. Participants from Claremont, Davis, Greene, and Morrill played in three rotations of…
On a beautiful fall afternoon, four volunteers from Motorola Mobility joined Goethe Elementary’s Work to Play squad for a series of scrimmages at Haas Park in Logan Square. The Goethe students were excited for the scrimmages – they had worked hard in practice and in the classroom all week, and this afternoon of friendly competition…
On Sunday October 9th, 14 runners representing Team Urban Initiatives participated in the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Since early this Spring, these runners not only dedicated their time to training for the event, they dedicated their time to fundraising to support Urban Initiatives’ sports-based youth development programs. “Urban Initiatives teaches students how to be…
On Thursday October 6th, Urban Initiatives and the UI Board of Directors hosted the Plant a Seed Breakfast at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel. Members of the Chicago business community gathered to learn about and reflect on how UI is using the power of sport and play to effect social change. After welcome remarks from…
