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…
A year ago, CBRE claimed the throne at the first ever Corporate Challenge Cup at Humboldt Park in Chicago. As the months went by, buzz began to build among Chicago’s corporate community. Employees wanted to know what it was like to reach the mountain top and have bragging rights over every company in Chicago. As…
School Based Program Coordinator JP Hernandez shares the impact he has made this year. It’s a great feeling when I wake up each morning knowing that whatever I say or do will impact how my day goes. I quickly learned that showing up with a positive attitude at your school increases the odds of you…
Summer is officially here! The school year has ended and the sun is shining, so naturally the UI staff joined together to celebrate a successful year! This staycation could not have been better, with plenty of time to bond, play games, and soak up some sun. We started the day by reflecting on the year’s…
On Friday June 19th, the end of school year party heard around the city commenced at Dr. Jorge Prieto Math and Science Academy. Over 1,000 K-8th grade students were treated to a wonderful day in the sun featuring various games, inflatable obstacle courses, dunk tanks, and, of course, SMOOTHIES provided by Urban Initiatives’ volunteer partner…
UI intern Katherine Winslow, from North Shore Country Day School, completed a great project where she profiled three Urban Initiatives’ participants family members. Here’s Part Two, if you missed Part One, you can read it here… Ever since joining the Urban Initiatives team in January of 2015, Nikesha Drummond has had a huge impact on…
As part of their Impact Day, a group of volunteers from Deloitte joined students at Bateman Elementary for Field Day on June 10. Kids, teachers, parents, and volunteers gathered at the school for a day of shared fun and physical activity. Before the volunteers stepped out onto the playground, they were welcomed by Bateman Principal…
Take the Lead Retreats truly serve to expose our middle school Team Captains to different neighborhoods, Universities, and cultural experiences throughout the City of Chicago. Our kids travel from all around the city to meet their fellow Team Captains, engage in leadership activities, and most importantly, have fun. This past weekend, middle schoolers made their…
UI intern Katherine Winslow, from North Shore Country Day School, completed a great project where she profiled three Urban Initiatives’ participants family members. Here’s Part One. For the past 6 years, Alexandra has been an Urban Initiatives super mom. Along with being the mother of Brandon, a Take the Lead Team Captain and Work to…
On Saturday June 4th, over eight hundred Urban Initiatives’ Work to Play soccer players gathered at Midway Plaisance down in Hyde Park to celebrate the hard work, dedication, and success they committed to over the past nine months. An unforgettable day that epitomizes the objective of Urban Initiatives, the Work to Play Cup brings students from over thirty different…
Urban Initiatives invites you to a corporate soccer tournament presented by Optiver featuring friendly competition, team building, and representatives from 32 Chicagoland companies – the Corporate Challenge Cup. On Saturday, July 16, 2016 – in support of the 15,000 Chicago Public Schools students in Urban Initiatives’ programs – an estimated 320 Chicago professionals will gather…
Our Board of Directors is committed to making the future Urban Initiatives strong! On May 13th and 14th, Board Members along with the Executive Leadership team retreated to New Buffalo, Michigan for our 2nd Board Retreat. The team engaged in activities, discussions, presentations, and ultimately worked together to review and update the strategic plan. Urban…
