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…
Forty children and parents from Goethe Elementary School were treated to a thrilling evening of basketball on September 11th when the Chicago Sky welcomed the Phoenix Mercury to town. Families were filled with excitement from the moment they entered Allstate Arena, until the final buzzer sounded. The children were so focused on the game that…
After weeks of preparation, hours of inflating soccer balls, sorting jerseys and making school visits, the 2013-2014 Work to Play season officially kicked off at 26 schools! Hooray! As a newcomer to the program, this being my 5th week on the staff, I was a little overwhelmed by how much was going on. There was…
Over the course of the first three days of the fall season Urban Initiatives’ new Program Associates took six schools to The White Sox series versus the Detroit Tigers. Urban Initiatives coaches led bubbling busloads of kids to U.S. Cellular Field where they led their schools in cheers for the hometown team.
Urban Initiatives 5th-8th graders kicked off this school year with an inspiring show of leadership at the first 2013-2014 Take the Lead Retreat! The weekend before the Work to Play Fall Season began, the Take the Lead Team Captains came together to encourage and challenge each other as leaders in the areas of teamwork and…
The CPS Full School Day is in its second year, and the means a second year for Play with Potential at Urban Initiatives. Conceived in the first year of mandated recess for all grades, Play with Potential began serving four schools with 2,900 total students. After a great rookie year, the word got out, and…
With the 11th year of the Work to Play program kicking off on Monday, Urban Initiaitves’ newest partner school Beidler Elementary shared their 30 – 20 – 10 plan with ABC 7 news. The Beidler team will incorporate the Work to Play program during the school day giving 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders the opportunity…
Halfway through the first week of school, Urban Initiatives already has made its mark on the new school year, helping our partners to meet the challenges of the new year. otis world language academy, a long tIME Urban initiatives partner for all three programs, has an interesting challenge this year. As a welcoming school, otis…
A big shout out to a local title insurance company, Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. (ATG), for giving the Attucks school a boost just in time for the fall Work to Play season. Attucks has been partnered with Urban Initiatives since 2006, but when budget shortages left the school’s administrators wondering if they would be…
DNAinfo Chicago’s Justin Breen recently sat down with the longest tenured Work to Play On Site Program Director, Coach Christian Nze. You can read his great story HERE.
The Chicago Cubs and Cubs Charities teamed up with Urban Initiatives for a fun and exciting way to enjoy the summer days. The Cubs on the Move Fitness Trolley visited, Otis, Lloyd, Tarkington and Gunsaulus each week with one message, Play Every Day.
It started 10 years ago with 12 boys and girls at Byrd Academy in Cabrini-Green. Fast forward to today where Urban Initiatives now serves over 10,000 boys and girls throughout 21 Chicago communities. Coach D and Coach Ish never thought the Work to Play program would expand to 26 schools and Urban Initiatives would offer other programs like…
