As the harvest season draws to a close, students at Fulton Elementary got to do a little harvesting of their own when Farmer Tim and Farmer Sydney pulled up to the playground in with their Truck Farm! Students bundled up and gathered around the cheerful, painted truck. They stood on chairs so that they could…
Last Friday, a dreary winter-weather week finally broke, giving way to a sunny brisk afternoon. It almost felt like spring, and so it was no surprise that Wrigley Field was bustling with activity. More than 200 soccer players from seven different schools spread across the outfield grass at the Friendly Confines for an afternoon of…
Each week of the Work to Play soccer season has a special theme, ranging from Teamwork to Healthy Eating. The coach and the team discuss the theme at practice and the kids complete handouts that allow them the opportunity to share their learning with their coaches. Last week’s theme was Self-esteem. Self-esteem is how we…
urban initiatives congratulates Coach Faye Stevens-jett for being honored with the Coach of the Year award from up2us, An orgAnizaTion thaT supports youth development proGrams that usE spoRts to improve the lives of kids across the country. coach jett, the atHletic Director and pe teacher at morton school of excellence, is a member of urban…
Urban Initiatives wants to thank Section 8 for inviting 150 members of our team to the Chicago Fire game versus the Columbus Crew on October 22nd. Because of Section 8’s support, participants from Daley, Nobel, and Walsh schools were able to travel to Toyota Park for the nail-biting season finale. The trip for our kids…
The Chicago Tribune just released a comprehensive article about the city’s struggling open spaces, including some of the work that Urban Initiatives has been doing through the Healthy Places project. The article, which can be read here looks at 10 different ways to support Chicago’s “park poor” neighborhoods, including a project to enhance walking and…
On a beautiful autumn Saturday, community members gathered around to watch the dedication of three new regulation-size turf soccer fields around Chicago. These fields are part of the “Take the Field’ initiative, which utilized both private and public resources to enhance Chicago’s open spaces, creating an environment where people can come together and celebrate their…
This year, Urban Initiatives is proud to be the host organization for the Healthy Places project focusing in the New City Community! We will work in 5 community schools (some who already have our Work to Play Program, and some new recruits) to rally around the CPS Wellness Policy and initiate some projects to enhance…
Yeira, a 4th grader at James Otis Elementary, loves being active. From the moment she climbs up the seemingly hundreds of stairs to the Otis gym on the fourth floor, Yeira’s energy and excitement is quite noticeable. Her commitment to the Urban Initiatives soccer team is evident each morning when she shows up to practice…
getting out from under a rain-smeared morning into the Reavis gym, i found a warm fire at soccer practicE. the coaches were pumped, the players engaged. after some solid ball handling and passing work with coach Jenny, the players were ready for the Berger challenge: A 2 on 1 breakaway against Coach Berger. taking on…
On Friday, October 7th, Urban Initiatives players from Libby, Walsh, Jenner and Prieto schools got to meet Mayor Emanuel and film a TV commercial! The Mayor’s Office reached out to the Urban Initiatives team and asked us if we wanted to invite some of our student athletes to film a promotion for Good Morning America.…