At Urban Initiatives, we teach students the importance of learning and making positive choices through sports-based youth development programs. 16,500 students in 42 schools across Chicago experience the benefits of Urban Initiatives’ programs every day. Of the children we serve, 93% come from low-income families.

Our structured, incentive-based programs lay the foundation for students to be accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to academics, personal conduct, physical fitness, and nutrition.

We use the appeal of sports and team membership to foster students’ interest in learning and in being a positive influence in the world. We enlist schools, families, and neighborhoods to build relationships that support our work. We expand our students' views of the world through a variety of experiences outside of their communities. At Urban Initiatives, we teach students the importance of learning and making positive choices through sports-based youth development programs. 16,500 students in 42 schools across Chicago experience the benefits of Urban Initiatives’ programs every day. Of the children we serve, 93% come from low-income families