I had the pleasure of working with Urban Initiatives last spring as an assistant coach at one of their schools. I read all I could about the program, but nothing compares to actually going to one of the schools and coaching the kids.
As part of a new partnership with Urban Initiatives as a result of the longer school day, Daley school now offers an engaging recess program called Play with Potential. For twenty-five minute sessions, children have the opportunity to engage in active play, learn new games, build social skills, and take a much-needed mental break from…
The first week of the 2012-2013 Work to Play Program is officially in the books! 15 year-round schools (Track E) helped Urban Initiatives kick off our 10th year of our health and education soccer programming in the Chicago Public Schools. UI kids from Englewood to Pilsen, from Back of the Yards to Cabrini, all hit…
On August 18th The Latin School of Chicago boys soccer team and the Walsh Elementary Urban Initiatives soccer team came together to cheer on the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park versus the New England Revolution. For a majority of kids on the Walsh team this was their first ever soccer game and the experience was…
Hi! This is Becca, Brendan, and Noah here, the new Program Associates at Urban Initiatives this year. We are honored and excited to be a part of this amazing team, and we anticipate another very successful year for the organization. We have a diverse collection of experiences and interests that merge well with the mission…
Attention Urban Initiatives supporters! You can help CPS provide Back to School kits to the neediest kids in our district. Via Chicago Public Schools’ partnership with Groupon, for only $11 you can purchase a year’s worth of supplies so kids can start the year off right on the first day of school. Visit http://www.groupon.com/deals/grs-chicago-public-schools to participate, and…
Urban Initiatives aims to motivate Chicago’s children to improve their academic performance, physical fitness, health and character through our sports-based youth development programs. Through the Work to Play Program, Urban Initiatives collaborates with teachers, school staff, parents and principals to make sure the youth we serve take ownership and pride of their commitment to being…
As families from Daley, Walsh, Greene, Nobel and Pasteur walked up the stairs they laid their eyes on a familiar sight but at an unordinary location. This past Saturday, the Chicago Cubs hosted UI kids and their families for The Friendly at the Confines. Italian powerhouse AS Roma matched up against Polish premier team Zaglebie…
The Daley Academy soccer team recently had the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills and most importantly their knowledge of healthy eating and living for Urban Initiatives’ largest funder, the J.R. Albert Foundation. After a great warm up led by Coach J, the Daley players showed everyone what unhealthy foods they need to stay away…
This blog spends a lot of time chronicling the qualitative impacts of the work that Urban Initiatives does to support whole-child development with CPS students. These stories keep us inspired and creative, but they are also backed by real statistics of tremendous output and impact for the kids we work with. Without further ado (drum…
In addition to the Work to Play Program, Urban Initiatives was able to implement a project called Healthy Places. Through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control, we were able to expand our presence in 4 partner schools on the South Side. Working with school administrators, teachers and parent groups, we formed Wellness Committees…