About Urban Initiatives

Our History

Fresh out of the University of Iowa in 2002, co-founders Jim Dower and Daniel Isherwood began substitute teaching at the now-shuttered Byrd Academy in Chicago’s Cabrini-Green neighborhood and immediately felt the need to reach out to the underserved children.

On a hunch that what worked for them as kids also would work for the children of Cabrini-Green, Isherwood and Dower launched a before- and after-school soccer team for children in 1st through 4th grades to help them develop strong character, a respect for learning and a sense of belonging. When the children began showing up hungry, the co-founders added a nutrition education component, initially using their own funds to provide healthy snacks.

When Byrd Academy closed, they moved the program to Friedrick von Schiller School and Jenner Academy of the Arts and have since expanded to reach 180 students in six inner-city schools – including L.E.A.R.N Community Academy, Crispus Attucks School, William T. Sherman School, and Friedrich L. Jahn School -- with several more on a waiting list. Future plans call for expanding the curriculum to include enrichment programming for middle-school students and matching the children with area mentors.

Our Vision

Urban Initiatives believes all children should have the opportunity to achieve their potential.
We believe empowering children at a young age with a “can-do” spirit, impeccable character, and overall wellness will provide them with the values, fitness and ambition necessary to become productive members of society.
Urban Initiatives believes all children should have the opportunity to achieve their potential.
We believe empowering children at a young age with a “can-do” spirit and solid work ethic will provide them with the values and ambition necessary to become productive members of society.

Our Mission

Urban Initiatives’ mission is to boost the academic performance, wellness and long-term success of children from underserved communities by actively engaging them in safe, structured extracurricular activities that educate the whole child.

Our Practices

Urban Initiatives takes a balanced, long-term approach to building a foundation of self-sufficiency among inner-city youth. Our before-and-after-school soccer programs for children in 1st through 4th grade provide quality instruction, nutritious snacks, a disciplined and structured team environment and coordinated communication between teachers, parents and coaches, while reinforcing positive behavior and healthy habits to combat childhood obesity and other issues.

The curriculum: Our early curriculum includes fitness, nutrition and character-building lessons that carry over to academic success. As our children grow and develop, our programming will expand to include academic enrichment activities, such as cultural exploration, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

"Work to Play:" Teacher involvement is crucial to our program’s success. To play in the weekly soccer games, students must receive acceptable ratings on “Work to Play” forms that teachers complete each week, grading students in key areas such as attendance, attention to assignments, classroom behavior and respect for others. Teachers are encouraged to consult with on-site directors regarding issues pertaining to individual students in our program.

Our Results

Through Urban Initiatives’ health and education soccer program, more inner-city kids are:

making Honor Roll
improving on-time attendance
boosting classroom performance
exercising regularly
eating healthy snacks
learning nutrition education to combat childhood obesity
learning important values to help make good choices, such as:
- cooperation
- commitment
- focus
- persistence
- sportsmanship
- team spirit
- work ethic
- respect for self, peers and authority