Play Matters:
The Accelerator Campaign for Urban Initiatives
Why Do This
We need your help to meet the demands of the moment and Chicago’s future. When you give, you drive positive change.
For youth, play is serious. When we reflect on our childhood memories of play, or when we watch young people in our lives play today, what we remember and see is social-emotional learning (SEL) in action.
But sport and play are becoming the privilege of the wealthy few. We can change that. The Accelerator Campaign is helping us rally resources to move our Chicago sports-based SEL movement forward.
Invest in quality coaches
Invest in quality coaches
Invest in quality coaches
Invest in quality coaches
Invest in quality coaches
Enlist support from diverse networks of families, schools, and community members
Enlist support from diverse networks of families, schools, and community members
Enlist support from diverse networks of families, schools, and community members
Develop social-emotional learning through play
Develop social-emotional learning through play
Develop social-emotional learning through play
Use our network to help students build social capital
Use our network to help students build social capital
Use our network to help students build social capital
Our Mission & Goal
This Is Not an Everyday Campaign
This campaign was inspired by a need for more play-based SEL services in our city. That need is urgent, and UI is uniquely positioned for this moment. We have the experience and an execution edge, leadership, and connections to drive a citywide movement.
That’s why we’re raising $10 million and scaling to serve 100,000 students each year as the campaign progresses.
Investments we receive today get put to work tomorrow, enabling us to connect more youth to caring adults, train community ambassadors to foster safe spaces, form new partnerships, and reach more young people. We’re already seeing impact as we begin to scale.
Expand Presence
An expanded presence across the city to reach 100,000 students (one-third of CPS students, or approximately 50% of 1st–8th graders).
Scale Impact
Vertical scaling in neighborhoods where UI already has a presence, with deepened impact in the communities that need us most.
Increase Awareness
Operationalizing increased awareness of and investment in the power of SEL by district leaders and community organizations.
Create Opportunities
Foster school improvement by providing leaders and educators with SEL-focused professional development opportunities and innovative strategies.
What Does Our $10M Accelerator Campaign Fund?
Your gift will allow us to sustain our work and make an even greater impact on kids in need. All donations to Urban Initiatives are tax-deductible.
Service
Scales UI’s reach quickly and sustainably
Click me to edit body content
Investment portfolio
- Our staffing talent pipeline to:
- Provide immediate support to CPS schools struggling with staffing shortages through recess expansion
- Launch early childhood out-of-school time programming to meet critical District need
- Train adult coaches to implement high-quality, play-based SEL with youth across the city
- Manage youth programs and ensure impact across sites
- Validation of UI’s program model, as well as all implementation and outcome data tools we leverage
- A partner to formalize UI’s talent management system
Organizing
Provokes action to change the system
Click me to edit body content
Investment portfolio
- Culture-building and community organizing efforts, including:
- Identifying and building coalitions with like-minded organizations
- Recruiting, training, and sustaining parent-led impact networks
- Outreach to and partnership-building with program partners and legislative champions to help shape public calls to action
Technology
Develops UI’s operational strength
Click me to edit body content
Investment portfolio
- App technology to:
- Streamline program site management
- Increase efficiency of program reporting, improvement, and communication with youth and families
- SEL trainings and ongoing support for partner youth development workers, delivered through the app
Why Do This
Our Investments in Our People and Our Talent Pipeline Matter
Our $7M service priority is directly fueling UI’s ability to grow our student programs and deepen our impact in response to citywide and neighborhood-specific needs. This is an intentional investment in our human capital and our operating edge. It’s what’s driven our success over the last two decades, and it is what will propel our exponential growth forward.
A Dramatic Increase in the Number of UI Students Served
Donate Today
Will You Join Us?
We invite you to join us during this transformational Accelerator Campaign. Your support will help us grow to reach 100,000+ Chicago students each and every year.
Together, let’s accelerate this work to meet the needs of Chicago’s youth, today and tomorrow.