Urban Initiatives utilizes research-backed, evidence-driven curriculum to guide our program sessions. This summer a team of Urban Initiatives staff and Board members worked together to improve our elementary schoolers’ health and education soccer program curriculum. We sat down with Urban Initiatives Program Director, Sara Shanley, who oversaw the project to chat about the updates.
On July 13, thirty competitive and soccer-skilled companies in the Chicago area came together for our 5th Annual Corporate Challenge Cup, presented by Morningstar, Inc. This annual tournament holds friendly 6 vs. 6 matches between teams in an eventual elimination battle for the Corporate Challenge Cup championship title. All teams played hard to benefit the…
Despite a week of rain leading up to the event, the 7th Annual Work to Play Cup held last weekend at the Midway Plaisance was a smashing success! Each June this event celebrates our continuum of programming participants’ hard work throughout the school year. The Work to Play Cup is a blend of the world’s…
Urban Initiatives uses sport and play as a key strategy to positively impact our program participants’ social emotional learning (SEL). Play can have profound impacts on youths’ SEL, and Urban Initiatives has intentionally developed its recess curriculum and overall program approach to positively impact SEL outcomes through intentional, active games and SEL skill-building.
Although pop culture has led many to believe that leadership is a talent or a set of innate skills possessed by few, leadership skills are practicable. By breaking down what it means to be a leader and what specific skills and capacities it takes to lead, we can encourage leaders from all backgrounds, experiences, and…
Our coaches and families are two of the most committed groups of stakeholders Urban Initiatives has and without their support our programs wouldn’t work. The Family & Coach Appreciation Party allows us to spend an evening with them, thank them, and share a meal.
all Urban Initiatives coaches receive regular training to ensure that our participants are receiving the highest quality programming possible. In March, Urban Initiatives hosted two spring training sessions on the south and west sides. These trainings kick off our spring seasons and provide an opportunity for our Work to Play soccer coaches to come together,…
On Friday, February 1st, our Team Captains in our leadership development program — Take the Lead- participated in a leadership retreat at MB Ice Arena. MB Ice Arena is the Chicago Blackhawks’ official practice arena and we were so grateful for the Blackhawks partnership in executing an incredibly successful retreat.
Urban Initiatives and Allstate Insurance presented the 2019 Soccer Ball at Rockwell on The River on Friday, January 25, 2019. Featuring fundraising, dancing, cocktails and delicious appetizers, Soccer Ball 2019 was a complete success!
Every year, we look forward to this event as a way for the UI staff, Associate Board and participants to genuinely connect and get to know each other through an evening of games, team building exercises, and, of course, pizza.
The Urban Initiatives Associate Board is a group of approximately 150 young professionals who dedicate their time to volunteering with UI participants, helping to plan UI events, and raising funds to support our work. Our members come from all over the greater Chicago area to support the kids and families that we serve. Although their…
