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…
Attention Urban Initiatives supporters! You can help CPS provide Back to School kits to the neediest kids in our district. Via Chicago Public Schools’ partnership with Groupon, for only $11 you can purchase a year’s worth of supplies so kids can start the year off right on the first day of school. Visit http://www.groupon.com/deals/grs-chicago-public-schools to participate, and…
Urban Initiatives aims to motivate Chicago’s children to improve their academic performance, physical fitness, health and character through our sports-based youth development programs. Through the Work to Play Program, Urban Initiatives collaborates with teachers, school staff, parents and principals to make sure the youth we serve take ownership and pride of their commitment to being…
As families from Daley, Walsh, Greene, Nobel and Pasteur walked up the stairs they laid their eyes on a familiar sight but at an unordinary location. This past Saturday, the Chicago Cubs hosted UI kids and their families for The Friendly at the Confines. Italian powerhouse AS Roma matched up against Polish premier team Zaglebie…
The Daley Academy soccer team recently had the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills and most importantly their knowledge of healthy eating and living for Urban Initiatives’ largest funder, the J.R. Albert Foundation. After a great warm up led by Coach J, the Daley players showed everyone what unhealthy foods they need to stay away…
This blog spends a lot of time chronicling the qualitative impacts of the work that Urban Initiatives does to support whole-child development with CPS students. These stories keep us inspired and creative, but they are also backed by real statistics of tremendous output and impact for the kids we work with. Without further ado (drum…
In addition to the Work to Play Program, Urban Initiatives was able to implement a project called Healthy Places. Through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control, we were able to expand our presence in 4 partner schools on the South Side. Working with school administrators, teachers and parent groups, we formed Wellness Committees…
Last week, amid the bustle of the school year’s end, soccer players from Nathanael Greene Elementary celebrated the end of their first season of the Work To Play program. Packed into a kindergarten classroom with tiny chairs, it was easy to see how much the Greene team had grown in the last eight weeks. Sitting…
On Thursday June 14th, Urban Initiatives hosted Nielsen Company, the global marketing and advertising research company, for a fun-filled day of service, sports, and healthy food at Prieto Academy on their Global Impact Day. Nielsen’s enthusiastic team began the afternoon by partnering with the Prieto students to complete a campus cleanup. After about 45 minutes, there was…
Is everyone ready to ROCK?!?! Join Urban Initiatives for This Must Be the Fundraiser! A special evening of music from This Must Be the Band! The Talking Heads Tribute Band is donating a live show to Urban Initiatives and all of our supporters.
On June 2nd, a sunny Chicago Saturday, seventy-five youth from all corners of Chicago descended upon Humboldt Park’s Allstate Field for an afternoon full of soccer, healthy food, and making new friends. These youth represented a rich array of faith traditions, coming from Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and non-religious families. This was the third Interfaith Cup…
HomeMade Pizza Co. loves helping the community as much as they love making great pizza. Urban Initiatives Junior Board Members Joseph Katelman and Kyle Rose took the initiative to put together the Four Cheese Fundraiser with HomeMade Pizza Co. Thanks to them, the evening raised $342 to provide busing for the final day of programming…