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…
As you walk through the halls of Davis Elementary, you’ll notice a few things. The students stand up a little bit straighter, the halls are a little bit quieter, and the staff…they are an impenetrable wall of firm but friendly faces. The Brighton Park school is indeed changing; and that, in part, is due to…
Take the Lead’s third retreat, focused on task persistence and time management was really something to see. The key to this retreat, was to prepare our team captains for High School. High School is on all of our Team Captain’s minds, so for them to be able to see Morgan Park High School and everything…
The 10th Anniversary Soccer Ball took place Friday, January 29, 2016 at Morgan Manufacturing where 1,100 guests came out to enjoy dancing, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres all in support of Urban Initiatives . The night raised $600,000 through event sponsorships, ticket sales, silent auction, and a Paddle Raise, which will help with the expansion of UI…
It may be the Work to Play off-season, but for the Take the Lead Team Captains there is no off-season. Every month of the school year (9 in total), including these two off-months in between the Fall and Spring Work to Play seasons, Captains meet with UI coaches to focus on leadership topics such as:…
Click below to watch UI Executive Director and Co-Founder Jim Dower on ABC 7 Chicago talking all things Soccer Ball! http://abc7chicago.com/1169556/
Take the Lead Program Manager Preethi Varma shares her views on Team Captains playing an important role during National Mentoring Month. National Mentoring Month, every January, is a time to not only commemorate the great work adult mentors at Urban Initiatives or around the U.S. undertake, but also to recognize the power of consistent and…
Urban Initiatives is fortunate to count lots of amazing companies as Corporate Coaching partners for our fall season, but PwC takes the award for most volunteers and for coming out to play twice over the past twelve weeks. On October 23, nine volunteers met the teams from Gunsaulus Academy, Greene Elementary, and Walsh Elementary at…
For the last game day of the fall season, Urban Initiatives welcomed a team of Corporate Coaches from DayNine Consulting at Chicago Indoor Sports. The volunteers spent the afternoon working with teams of seven Urban Initiatives soccer players from Providence Englewood Charter School, Tarkington Elementary, Marquette Elementary, and Lee Elementary. After getting loosened up with…
On Friday, December 4th, a team of Kirkland & Ellis volunteers spent the afternoon coaching 90 second to fourth grade students from Urban Initiatives’ Work to Play program. The volunteers led small teams of students from Jordan Elementary (Rogers Park), Faraday Elementary (East Garfield Park), and Bateman Elementary (Irving Park) through friendly soccer games against each other.…
A day after United hosted Urban Initiatives’ Q2 Board of Directors meeting at its offices in the Willis Tower, Urban Initiatives’ players welcomed a team of United volunteers for an afternoon of Corporate Coaching. After introductions and coming up with team names, the players from Greene Elementary, Beethoven Elementary, Morrill Elementary, and Otis Elementary hit…
A few weeks before the start of the fall Work to Play soccer season, Urban Initiatives received a phone call from Julia Weiss, a former Wilmette Wings player who remembered playing in a Crosstown Classic with Urban Initiatives players a decade ago. Julia wanted to organize a Corporate Coaching day with her company, Huron Education.…
