Category Archive

UI in Action

  • Take the Lead Team Comes Together

    Team Captains from our Take the Lead program kicked off the start of the new school year with the first retreat of 2014. Over 50 captains from all over the city came together at Nathanael Greene Elementary, in the McKinley Park neighborhood, to build upon their leadership skills. The day started with a few icebreakers…

    Take the Lead Team Comes Together
  • Happy 20th Anniversary AmeriCorps!

    Since the 2010-2011 school year, Urban Initiatives’ Work to Play program has teamed up with AmeriCorps to help make a long lasting impact on thousands of kids in various Chicago schools and communities. As we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps we would like to thank every Urban Initiatives Coach that has dedicated a year,…

    Happy 20th Anniversary AmeriCorps!
  • Recess Fun with Katie and Amanda

    The first week of school is in the books! First year REC Coordinator Amanda Diaz shares her experience as the “new kid on the block” at Prieto. Then, Second year REC Coordinator, Katie shares her week one experience as she once again gets students at Palmer moving. Hey everyone, Coach Amanda here! Being the new…

    Recess Fun with Katie and Amanda
  • Work to Play Cup 2014

    The 2nd Annual Work to Play Cup was a huge success! Thanks to all of the sponsors who made this one-of-a-kind event possible!

    Work to Play Cup 2014
  • Meet Bryant!

    Bryant Craft is a new Program Associate from Worcester, MA. This is his first year as a Coach Across America coach and he is looking forward to the start of the season. Bryant has played soccer since he was four years old. In middle and high school he also played basketball. He grew up in Worcester,…

  • Meet Brandon!

    Brandon Reed hails from Chicago’s south side community of Englewood. Brandon attended Curie Performing Arts High School where he played basketball and trombone in the school band. He then went on to University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana where he studied Recreational Sports. His favorite thing about Chicago is the “Soul” of the city rooted in the various…

  • Meet Kevin!

    Kevin attended Mount Carmel High School in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. He then went downstate to Bloomington Illinois where he was a student at Illinois State University. His favorite part of Chicago is Blues Fest weekend. He is drawn to working with UI because of the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of…

  • Meet Helena!

    Helena Correa is originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. At 13, she moved to Indiana, where she currently resides today. She attended Indiana University, Bloomington, where she majored in political science. One of her favorite things about Chicago is being able to eat food from all over the world due to the city’s culturally diverse neighborhoods.…

  • Summer Campers have a Ball at Cubs Game!

    What a night at the ballpark! For the final stretch of Urban Initiatives’ partnership with the Cubs on the Move Fitness Trolley this summer, the Cubs generously invited over 200 UI participants and their families to watch the Cubs take on the Giants on August 19th. The kids from Beidler, Gunsaulus, Kozminski, and Lloyd were…

    Summer Campers have a Ball at Cubs Game!