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…
On the evening of Friday, November 16th, Urban Initiatives can guarantee that no one in Chicago was having more fun than the Work to Play soccer players of Claremont and Daley Elementary Schools as they teamed up with 20 Urban Initiatives Junior Board Members and Board Member Neil Hirshman for an exciting pizza party unlike…
The Play with Potential recess program at Daley Elementary Academy has seen some true success. Each day, the students can be found actively playing and enjoying their time at Cornell Square Park. Students in first through fifth grade follow a structured recess schedule. Each day, they engage in a new activity that promotes teamwork, positive…
Encouraging kids to eat their vegetables is a timeless challenge, but Urban Initiatives’ partnership at Tarkington School of Excellence has discovered a new strategy to incentivize students to eat the variety of food served at lunch. Coach Noah spends every Tuesday at Tarkington, pioneering health-related projects to reach all 1000 students in the school and…
Urban Initiatives has yet again expanded our horizons and broken through into a new arena of exciting outreach and impact. The Mentor Coach program has officially begun! What is the Mentor Coach program, you ask? Urban Initiatives’ success as a program has resulted in many of our soccer players consistently returning to the team even…
The Chicago Cubs front office recently stepped away from the baseball field and joined the Jahn and Otis Work to Play teams on the soccer field at Hamlin Park for a Friday Game Day. This was Jahn’s first home game of the season and the entire team, along with their families, was beyond ecstatic to…
Everyone knows that De’Ron Hunter is an outstanding young man. His academic reputation is strong, and his 4th grade teacher enjoys having him in her class. When asked, he will casually say, “Well, usually I get A’s and B’s on my report card.” De’Ron has perfect attendance at soccer practice, and has gotten all “5’s”…
Urban Initiatives’ 10th Annual Halloween Party – GALAWEEN – was a SPOOKtacular success! A huge THANK YOU goes out to all of our friends who came out to have a great time and support our sports-based youth development programs.
Urban Initiatives is fortunate to work with incredible coaches that come directly from the communities we serve. One such coach who consistently goes above and beyond and demonstrates incredible commitment to the Work to Play Program and the kids is Coach Kesharn Wright from Reavis Elementary. Coach Wright’s children, 7th grader Chevaughn, 5th grader Gabrielle…
Since the start of the Work to Play Program at Goethe, UI kids have always traveled to different communities across Chicago for Friday Game Days. Along the way they have met other kids their age who love to play soccer and practice healthy eating habits as much as they do. The Goethe team enjoys every…
Storck candy company, known for its favorites like Werther’s, Riesen and Mambas, is a committed supporter of Urban Initiatives. This past Wednesday, they once again showed their committment by hosting the annual Storck-Urban Initiatives event at Chicago Indoor Sports center. Their team of almost 20 volunteers coached our kids on the field, distributed Storck game…