Category Archive

Urban Initiatives

  • Team Captains Celebrate Service at We Day

    On April 30th, Take the Lead Team Captains took the day off school, not to hang around or sit on the couch, but to celebrate all the incredible service projects they’ve completed this spring in their communities. As a part of the Take the Lead program, Team Captains organize service projects with their teammates. Captains…

    Team Captains Celebrate Service at We Day
  • UI’s Newest Teammate, Gabrielle Jones

    Gabrielle Jone just joined the UI team as the new Play with Potential REC Coordinator at Dr. Jorge Prieto Math and Science Academy in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin community. What drew you to Urban Initiatives? Gabrielle: The close knit relationship to underserved communities is what drew me to Urban Initiatives. I have been volunteering and working…

  • Meet Greg Washington!

    Greg Washington is the newest member of the Urban Initiatives family. He will be the School Based Program Coordinator for all THREE of UI’s programs, Work to Play, Take the Lead and Play with Potential at Claremont Academy in the city’s Englewood community. Welcome to the team Greg! Urban Initiatives: What drew you to Urban…

  • Fun and Games at the Inaugural Lawndale Field Day

    Spring is (sort of) in the air, and that means our Work to Play soccer teams and Play with Potential recesses have finally moved back outside. Last Saturday, a group of 20 adults met 20 Lawndale Community Academy (LCA) students for the inaugural Lawndale Field Day. The LCA students at the event were celebrating a successful…

    Fun and Games at the Inaugural Lawndale Field Day
  • Lawndale Field Day on DNAinfo.com

    DNAinfo reporter Mauricio Peña visits the First Annual Lawndale Field Day! Reach here: https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150511/north-lawndale/first-annual-lawndale-field-day-raises-money-for-work-to-play-program

  • Team Captains of the Month: May

    Each month we will share with you two dynamic Team Captains that embody the Take the Lead team spirit and go above and beyond in their communities throughout Chicago. This year 151 Take the Lead Team Captains from 24 Chicago Public Schools across 19 distinct communities will help make an impact in the lives of…

    Team Captains of the Month: May
  • Cleaning up Austin

    Take the Lead Team captains from Howe School of Excellence, located in the city’s Austin Community, took the morning off from soccer to focus on giving back to their very own neighborhood. As part of their upcoming We Day celebration team captains served their community by spending their practice time doing a little spring-cleaning around…

    Cleaning up Austin
  • Friday Game Day with the Urban Initiatives Junior Board

    Junior Board member Jose Garcia shares his experience from the #UIJB Volunteer Day. Imagine yourself walking into an indoor stadium, not fully knowing what to expect. Now imagine walking through the doors and seeing dozens of families, Urban Initiatives staff, fellow UI Junior Board members, and close to 100 UI Work to Play soccer players…

    Friday Game Day with the Urban Initiatives Junior Board