Category Archive

February 2012

  • Coach Austin: A Mother Committed to UI’s Mission

    Thanks to Coach Simba, the On-Site Program Director at Jenner Academy, for this blog post. You see her walking down Elm Street at 7:20 AM with all three of her kids. Holding her youngest child Davarius by the hand she carefully crosses the street and enters the cafeteria with a smile and a warm greeting,…

  • Through Healthy Places, UI Provides Health Education for Families

    While Daley’s Urban Initiatives team reviewed its 5-4-3-2-1-Go! lesson after practice in the gym, the No Child Left Behind committee was down the hall having a health lesson for parents, with a healthy breakfast to start the day off right! As a Healthy Places school, Urban Initiatives has been working to provide workshops for parents…

  • Corporate Volunteer Spotlight: Storck USA

    Urban Initiatives would like to thank our tremendous partner Storck USA for their ongoing support. Their dedication to corporate responsibility is absolutely incredible and we are grateful to have them on our team. We are extremely grateful for all they do to support us and for serving as The Presenting Sponsor of The Soccer Ball.…

  • Second Grader Derek is ALWAYS On Time for Soccer!

    A critical component of our Work To Play Program is the health and character handouts that we give to our soccer players on a weekly basis. These fun-focused handouts build on the health and character discussions from that week. The soccer players are asked to complete the weekly handout and turn them back into their…

  • Daley School: “It’s Easy Bein’ Green!”

    The lunch room at Daley Academy is usually a sea of students’ hunter green uniforms, but a different shade of green is popping up these days – salad green! When Daley received their HealthierUS Schools Challenge award, the Wellness Committee (which includes Urban Initiatives staff from the Healthy Places project) worked with the lunch room…

  • UI Receives U.S. Soccer Foundation Grant

    The U.S. Soccer Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to Urban Initiatives in support of our flagship Work to Play Program. Urban Initiatives’ Executive Director Jim Dower is thrilled about the partnership, "Urban Initiatives is extremely excited to partner with The U.S. Soccer Foundation. Their support will be key to helping us expand the impact…

  • Thank You Sponsors For the Best Soccer Ball Yet!

    More than 750 guests attended Urban Initiatives’ sixth annual Soccer Ball fundraiser on January 27th at Chicago’s River East Art Center. It was an enchanted evening of mingling for many Chicago professionals, young and old alike, who were swaying to the cool sounds of DJ Duncan and devouring the innovative culinary concoctions and specialty cocktails of J&L Catering.…