The summer of 2026 saw the third iteration of our Community Member to Coach program in North Lawndale. Over the course of 8 weeks, a cohort of twenty-five 16-24 year olds completed over 30 hours of training and applied practice related to coaching skills. An experiential learning program, our “Coach Apprentices” not only learned about positive youth development practices and research-based coaching behaviors and program activities; they experienced them in action. Each training session incorporated active engagement in gameplay alongside intentional discussion and reflection regarding how key coaching skills look and feel in action.
Then, Coach Apprentices had the opportunity to practice their new skills in real time at Community Play Day events where they co-led sports activity stations for younger kids under the supervision of trained coaches. The Community Play Days themselves provided safe and joyful spaces for neighborhood connection and resource sharing. In the summer of 2026, over 700 community members attended across our four events, providing over 200 referrals to local resources and services (housing, healthcare, mental health, etc.).
While the Community Member to Coach program focuses on fostering coaching-specific skills for participants, the primary goal is to build their competency across transferable job readiness skills. Many of our Coach Apprentices are disengaged from typical education and career pathways, and this program offers a low-barrier opportunity for paid learning and practice they can transfer immediately to their resumes.
This year, we incorporated additional resources for the participants themselves into the program for the first time: Coach Apprentices learned about financial literacy from JPMorgan Chase, engaged with community leaders, and were introduced to post-secondary education and employment opportunities.
As Urban Initiatives expands our workforce development work, this flagship program remains a living example of the power of play to build widely-applicable soft skills and social capital.
91% of participants reported building a meaningful connection with a peer through this program; and 100% said they did so with a caring adult. We are so proud of the work we accomplished in North Lawndale this summer, and hope to bring this program to more neighborhoods in 2027!
