Category Archive

UI in Action

  • Reavis Parents Speak to the Work to Play Program’s Impact

    Urban Initiatives knows that our kids love being on the Urban Initiatives soccer team. Why else would they show up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7:30 AM on a Monday for practice? But what do the parents think? To answer that question, Urban Initiatives asked the parents at Reavis Elementary for their feedback on the Work…

  • Libby Team Gives Back to Celebrate Season

     Program participants at Libby celebrated the end of their winter season with a party on March 29th. At the event, the kids also completed their service learning project. For two and a half weeks the participants collected as much canned food as possible for the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster services. This project was selected at…

  • Sherman Soccer Families’ Tasty Adventure at Good Food Festival

    Anthony Todd of the Chicagoist wrote in a recent review, "If you’re a food lover and you weren’t at Family Farmed Expo on Saturday, you’d better have a darn good excuse." For a group of thirty young soccer players and their families from Sherman School of Excellence, they don’t need an excuse – they were…

  • Volunteer Coach Marlo Speaks to His Experience with the Program

    When I was growing up I never had the opportunity to play sports. As I’ve grown older, I see a serious need for youth sports programs, especially in Chicago. Recently I was coaching my own kids in baseball and soccer in a small, rural Indiana town. Things are much different there – kids don’t experience…

  • Robert Morris Players Teach UI Participants Skills and Drills

    On Friday, March 18th soccer players from Robert Morris University – led by their Coach Jake Truty – conducted drills with students from Jenner, Morton, Sherman and Libby. The kids were divided into small groups and taken through dribbling, heading and control drills. Overall, the kids had a blast and loved spending time with the…

  • Families Fill Chicago Indoor Sports!

    As the winter season draws to a close, more and more families are coming out to Chicago Indoor Sports to support Urban Initiatives and watch our kids in action. Last Friday, many families of our Walsh, Reavis, and Jahn participants lined the sidelines to cheer on the players. Urban Initiatives would like to thank all…

  • Northwestern Men’s Soccer Team Gives Back

    On Friday, February 25th, five members of the Northwestern Men’s Soccer Team volunteered their time and soccer expertise at Chicago Indoor Sports with Urban Initiatives. The players were led by Assistant Coach Neil Jones and helped to lead warm-ups, officiate, and coach some of the games. The kids from Attucks, Daley, and Jenner were thrilled…

  • The Women’s Board of The Field Museum Host UI Kids

    The Women’s Board of The Field Museum generously invited Urban Initiatives participants and their families from Jenner and Libby to their 2010 Children’s Holiday Celebration on December 9th. The highlight for the kids was a scavenger hunt around the Museum that allowed them to work as a team and explore the different exhibits. The event…