Category Archive
The 2013 Work to Play fall season saw a record number of boys and girls sharply dressed in their brand new Nike jerseys, shorts, socks and shin guards kick the soccer ball all around Chicago. 821 soccer players from our 26 partner schools wrapped up our strongest ever Work to Play season this past week.
This Fall, Nobel school participated in the CPS soccer league for the first time ever, and had such success that they will be competing in the city-wide finals this weekend. Nobel has never had a soccer team for the middle school before, but the demand is very high, so when Coach Veronica became the REC…
Our dedicated supporters at Storck hosted Daley, Biedler and Jenner at the chicago indoor sports center for a special Wednesday night game day.
On September 20th, Cornell Square Park made national headlines because of a nighttime gang-related shootout that wounded 13 people, including a 3-year old boy. This news shocked the city, and contributed to the notion that Chicago’s South Side is unsafe and plagued with violence. Richard J. Daley Academy is right across the street from Cornell…
On Friday, October 4th soccer players and family members from the Hamlin Park, Austin and McKinley Park communities traveled up to Wilmette for the 13th Crosstown Classic with the Wilmette Wings. The Crosstown Classic gives Urban Initiatives soccer players the chance to travel outside their community so they may become familiar with all of the…
On Saturday, September 21st over 90 Urban Initiatives boys and girls from three different Chicago communities came together for the Multicultural Cup at the Haas Park soccer field. The Urban Initiatives Multicultural Cup uses soccer as a tool to introduce Work to Play program participants to the abundance of cultures that exist around the world.…
After almost four years of dedicated leadership, Ron Redd, Director at BMO Capital Markets and long time Chairman of Urban Initiatives’ Board of Directors, is passing the Chairman’s torch.
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…
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…
Jim Dower, Urban Initiatives’ Co-Founder and Executive Director, has been selected to join Leadership Greater Chicago’s 2014 Fellows Class. Congratulations to Jim on being recognized for his consistent dedication to empowering and inspiring children and for his tireless efforts to promote social change in Chicago. We are thrilled to have him as the leader of…
