Category Archive
Davis’ REC Coordinator Nestor Rico shares a one of a kind experience for UI kids from Urban Initiatives Night at UIC! As the Director of Community Assist at the University of Illinois at Chicago I am responsible for reaching out to schools, club teams, and non for profit organizations to offer them a unique experience…
Team Captains got an early start on their futures this past Friday at the second Take the Lead Retreat of the year, hosted at Grainger’s incredible facilities in Lake Forest. After a long bus ride from the city, Captains arrived on Grainger’s beautiful campus, which is complete with a running path, cafeterias, and enough meeting…
On a chilly Sunday afternoon over 30 high school students came together to think about ways to take action for Urban Initiatives. UI Student Board member Hannah Fortier shares her experience at the first meeting of the school year. On November 8th, 33 high school students from the Chicago area met at LYFE Kitchen. This…
Work to Play soccer players from Bateman Elementary took a trip up to Winnetka for a special Saturday Crosstown Classic with students from North Shore Country Day School (NSCDS). NSCDS hosted a beautiful game day filled with music, tons of fun, and lots of soccer. Eight teams of players, consisting of combined groups of NSCDS and Bateman…
Our Work to Play Program is in full force this season, and with Week 6 being the most grateful and impactful week of them all, we just had to share it! Three schools from three different Chicago communities came together for a very special Tuesday Game Day. Ward, Davis, and Jenner Elementary enjoyed friendly soccer…
Work to Play week 5 ended with UI kids from West Englewood, Brighton Park and the Near South Side coming together at Chicago Indoor Sports for a special game day! Gunsaulus was the first to arrive, and got the opportunity to play a few rounds of Junk Food Tag with a group of great volunteers…
The season has changed. Gone are the sweltering Summer days; in are the cool, brisk, and often blustery ones of Fall. With the change in climes also comes the annual Crosstown Classic with the Wilmette Wings. The Crosstown Classic has been an annual event since 2003, bringing Urban Initiatives students out to Wilmette to play with…
Urban Initiatives’ fall Work to Play soccer season started last week, and for our players on the team at National Teachers Academy (NTA), the first week of Work to Play was capped with a Friday game day with 10 new friends from GrubHub! Heavy cloud cover and the threat of rain did nothing to dampen NTA’s spirits as…
Urban Initiatives is incredibly excited to announce our new partnership with the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. They have generously committed two years of funding—totaling nearly $75,000 in total—to support Work to Play and Play with Potential in the communities of Auburn Gresham, Brighton Park, Chicago Lawn, East Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, New City, and…
Urban Initiatives once again partnered with Chicago Cubs Charities, running its third year of sports summer camps at four schools in Chicago: Jahn Elementary in Hamlin Park, Beidler Elementary in East Garfield Park, National Teachers Academy in South Loop, and Lloyd Elementary in Belmont-Cragin. Once a week, the Cubs on the Move Fitness Trolley visits each of…
