Urban Initiatives transforms the “indoor recess scramble” into a high-impact season of play by using proactive game plans, age-appropriate curriculum “remixes,” and deep integration with school staff to ensure Chicago students stay active and connected all winter long.
Drawing on insights from Gerald Zaltman’s Dare to Think Differently, this post explores how “serious play” acts as essential developmental infrastructure, helping Chicago’s youth build the cognitive flexibility, resilience, and decision-making skills needed to navigate life far beyond the field.
Urban Initiatives’ Adult Learning service line uses 20 years of research-based play to equip thousands of caregivers and educators with trauma-informed strategies, achieving a 95% satisfaction rate as participants learn to manage their own well-being while supporting the 70,000 youth they serve.
A $1,750 grant from the MDRT Foundation is supporting Urban Initiatives’ citywide suite of play-based social-emotional learning programs, providing students with essential outlets to relieve stress, build life skills, and strengthen connections with peers and caring adults.
Urban Initiatives is serving as a critical protective factor for 100,000 students by driving attendance through joyful engagement, achieving early fundraising milestones, and scaling impact through staff-led recess models and national award-winning innovation.
After 15 years with UI, Cesar Hernandez has come full circle from student to coach, using the “Five Finger Values” and quiet mentorship to inspire the next generation of Chicago leaders.
140 middle school Captains gathered at Wintrust Arena for a free leadership retreat to build communication skills and take initiative by committing to help their teammates and communities.
The Springboard Foundation served as Urban Initiatives’ first-ever foundation partner, providing the critical early funding and mentorship that helped a small grassroots program grow into a sustainable, citywide organization.
The 20th Anniversary Soccer Ball celebrated two decades of community by bringing together 600 guests to raise over $730,000, ensuring Chicago’s youth remain connected to the vital mentorship and safe spaces they need to thrive.
This blog honors the J.R. Albert Foundation as a cornerstone partner whose early, unrestricted support and long-term trust helped transform Urban Initiatives from its earliest chapters into a citywide force for Chicago’s youth.
Through a transformative visit to Mesirow Financial, Zapata Academy’s Urban Initiatives team demonstrated how professional exposure and meaningful mentorship build the social capital necessary for students to envision and achieve their brightest futures.
