Category Archive
On a beautiful fall afternoon, four volunteers from Motorola Mobility joined Goethe Elementary’s Work to Play squad for a series of scrimmages at Haas Park in Logan Square. The Goethe students were excited for the scrimmages – they had worked hard in practice and in the classroom all week, and this afternoon of friendly competition…
It had been cold and rainy all day, but the gloomy weather did not deter the dedicated group of volunteers from William Blair that came to Garfield Park to serve as assistant coaches to Urban Initiatives’ participants on their first game day of the year. Students in UI’s Work to Play and Take the Lead…
Urban Initiatives Associate Board Executive Committee member Ashley Dobbins shares her experience at this years Multicultural Cup with Morton, Lawndale, and Goethe! Sports and play are a common vehicle that is known and enjoyed throughout the world. It’s a thread of commonality that ties together cities, countries and cultures around the world. It’s the same…
125 Team Captains! Our first Take the Lead retreat had the highest attendance in Urban Initiatives history. The Take the Lead Program challenges 5th-8th grade Team Captains to achieve academic growth and leadership ability through play and sport. Through Take the Lead, Team Captains engage in Work to Play practices, monthly mentoring, and five off…
Urban Initiatives is excited to announce that the Sky Ranch Foundation™ will continue their support of the Take the Lead program during the 2016/2017 school year. The Sky Ranch Foundation™ has granted UI $25,000 to support Take the Lead program expenses. As Take the Lead continues to grow and develop, this grant will be instrumental in…
School Based Program Coordinator JP Hernandez shares the impact he has made this year. It’s a great feeling when I wake up each morning knowing that whatever I say or do will impact how my day goes. I quickly learned that showing up with a positive attitude at your school increases the odds of you…
Summer is officially here! The school year has ended and the sun is shining, so naturally the UI staff joined together to celebrate a successful year! This staycation could not have been better, with plenty of time to bond, play games, and soak up some sun. We started the day by reflecting on the year’s…
UI intern Katherine Winslow, from North Shore Country Day School, completed a great project where she profiled three Urban Initiatives’ participants family members. Here’s Part Two, if you missed Part One, you can read it here… Ever since joining the Urban Initiatives team in January of 2015, Nikesha Drummond has had a huge impact on…
As part of their Impact Day, a group of volunteers from Deloitte joined students at Bateman Elementary for Field Day on June 10. Kids, teachers, parents, and volunteers gathered at the school for a day of shared fun and physical activity. Before the volunteers stepped out onto the playground, they were welcomed by Bateman Principal…
Take the Lead Retreats truly serve to expose our middle school Team Captains to different neighborhoods, Universities, and cultural experiences throughout the City of Chicago. Our kids travel from all around the city to meet their fellow Team Captains, engage in leadership activities, and most importantly, have fun. This past weekend, middle schoolers made their…
