Category Archive
The Play with Potential recess program at Daley Elementary Academy has seen some true success. Each day, the students can be found actively playing and enjoying their time at Cornell Square Park. Students in first through fifth grade follow a structured recess schedule. Each day, they engage in a new activity that promotes teamwork, positive…
Encouraging kids to eat their vegetables is a timeless challenge, but Urban Initiatives’ partnership at Tarkington School of Excellence has discovered a new strategy to incentivize students to eat the variety of food served at lunch. Coach Noah spends every Tuesday at Tarkington, pioneering health-related projects to reach all 1000 students in the school and…
Urban Initiatives has yet again expanded our horizons and broken through into a new arena of exciting outreach and impact. The Mentor Coach program has officially begun! What is the Mentor Coach program, you ask? Urban Initiatives’ success as a program has resulted in many of our soccer players consistently returning to the team even…
Everyone knows that De’Ron Hunter is an outstanding young man. His academic reputation is strong, and his 4th grade teacher enjoys having him in her class. When asked, he will casually say, “Well, usually I get A’s and B’s on my report card.” De’Ron has perfect attendance at soccer practice, and has gotten all “5’s”…
Urban Initiatives is fortunate to work with incredible coaches that come directly from the communities we serve. One such coach who consistently goes above and beyond and demonstrates incredible commitment to the Work to Play Program and the kids is Coach Kesharn Wright from Reavis Elementary. Coach Wright’s children, 7th grader Chevaughn, 5th grader Gabrielle…
The sight of over 15 soccer fields and the smiling faces of Wilmette Wings players greeted soccer players from Bethune, Howe, Goethe and Jahn at Avoca Park for the annual Wilmette Crosstown Classic. U8, U9 and U10 Wings teamed up with UI players for an afternoon of soccer and making new friends.
The Work to Play Program was featured on the WGN Morning News during their Around Town segment with Ana Belaval. WGN set up shop at Dr. Jorge Prieto Math and Science Academy where On Site Program Director John Laughlin and Assistant Coach Drago Petrusic ran one of their patented morning practices.
The Chicago Cubs invited Urban Initiatives families to their baseball game on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. And what a game it was! In an exciting back-and-forth slug fest that saw six home runs, the Cubbies prevailed 13-9. The victory was due in large party to Anthony Rizzo’s two home runs, one of them being…
As part of a new partnership with Urban Initiatives as a result of the longer school day, Daley school now offers an engaging recess program called Play with Potential. For twenty-five minute sessions, children have the opportunity to engage in active play, learn new games, build social skills, and take a much-needed mental break from…
On August 18th The Latin School of Chicago boys soccer team and the Walsh Elementary Urban Initiatives soccer team came together to cheer on the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park versus the New England Revolution. For a majority of kids on the Walsh team this was their first ever soccer game and the experience was…