Category Archive

April 2015

  • Cleaning up Austin

    Take the Lead Team captains from Howe School of Excellence, located in the city’s Austin Community, took the morning off from soccer to focus on giving back to their very own neighborhood. As part of their upcoming We Day celebration team captains served their community by spending their practice time doing a little spring-cleaning around…

    Cleaning up Austin
  • Friday Game Day with the Urban Initiatives Junior Board

    Junior Board member Jose Garcia shares his experience from the #UIJB Volunteer Day. Imagine yourself walking into an indoor stadium, not fully knowing what to expect. Now imagine walking through the doors and seeing dozens of families, Urban Initiatives staff, fellow UI Junior Board members, and close to 100 UI Work to Play soccer players…

    Friday Game Day with the Urban Initiatives Junior Board
  • The Ever Growing Work to Play Family

    The beginning of the school year brings changes for everyone. A new grade, new teachers, new friends and for Urban Initiatives, new schools! Each year the Work to Play program expands into new schools giving hundreds of kids the chance to join a team that learns how to play soccer, eat healthy and increase their…

    The Ever Growing Work to Play Family
  • Junior Board Bus Campaign Kickoff

    For the past two years Urban Initiatives’ Junior Board has spent the month of May engaging in a little team building, a lot of friendly competition, and a huge amount of fundraising. We’re only two weeks away from May 1, and that means just one thing: the Third Annual Junior Board Bus Campaign is here!…

    Junior Board Bus Campaign Kickoff
  • Meet our 100th Junior Board Member, Isabel!

    The Urban Initiatives Junior Board is comprised of young professionals who volunteer their time and efforts to the thousands of kids UI serves across Chicago. Here is a short interview with our newest Junior Board member, Isabel. UI: Why did you decide to get involved with Urban Initiatives? Isabel: I decided to get more involved…

    Meet our 100th Junior Board Member, Isabel!
  • Junior Board Spotlight: Annika Clutch

    Annika Clutch is a real team player who first got involved with Urban Initiatives through her company Storck USA. Since 2010 Annika jumps at every opportunity to get involved and is committed to members of our team getting to know each other better. One of Urban Initiatives’ goals is to increase collaboration between members of…

    Junior Board Spotlight: Annika Clutch
  • IMC Trades Stocks for Cleats

    “Un, deux, trois. I can speak French too!” said Gisele, a third grader from the Work to Play team at Tarkington School of Excellence. “That’s very good!” responded Coach Jonathan, a volunteer from IMC Financial Markets, as his team of Tarkington third and fourth graders (the Fire, as they had recently dubbed themselves) warmed up…

    IMC Trades Stocks for Cleats
  • Fun with the Big Shoulders Fund

    During this past winter offseason, Urban Initiatives was thrilled to partner with the Big Shoulders Fund and schools St. Angela and Our Lady of Grace for a season of Soccer Sixty. Typically Urban Initiatives has partnered exclusively with Chicago Public Schools, but through this amazing partnership with the Big Shoulders Fund, Urban Initiatives was able to…

    Fun with the Big Shoulders Fund
  • Team Captains of the Month: April

    Each month we will share with you two dynamic Team Captains that embody the Take the Lead team spirit and go above and beyond in their communities throughout Chicago. This year 151 Take the Lead Team Captains from 24 Chicago Public Schools across 19 distinct communities will help make an impact in the lives of…

    Team Captains of the Month: April