This will be the 3rd year that we at Spidermonkey Cycling will come together to support Urban Initiatives (UI) with a 100 mile ride starting at Virtue Cider in northern Michigan. Our goal is to promote the amazing work UI is doing to use sports and leadership training to build on classroom learning. UI programs keep young people in school and off the streets where gang recruitment is strong. The programs motivate and empower, builing a core for lifelong success.
I hope I can count on your support!
Urban Initiatives mission is
to empower Chicago’s youth to become community leaders through academic success, healthy living, and social-emotional learning.
We build on the inherent power of sports and teamwork to unify diverse stakeholders and strengthen communities.
Participants:
Hispanic/Latino: 53%
Black/African American: 38%
Asian/Pacific Islander: 3%
White & Other: 6%
Our Continuum of Programming prepares and supports youth as they navigate elementary, middle, high school, and beyond.
Through Work to Play, Take the Lead, and Coach for Success, we engage youth in a long-term team environment and support their progress from Player to Captain to Coach, roles that increase in responsibility, leadership opportunities, and ownership over time. Teamwork, peer mentorship, and the imperative to “pay it forward” to other students and community members are key to our approach. As participants reach middle and high school, they pass on the lessons they have learned to the next generation while also continuing to build skills critical to long-term success.
Work to Play is the foundation of our Continuum.
45 Schools | 1,350 Kids
Work to Play provides students in grades K-4 with the chance to belong to a soccer team, regardless of skill level. Trained coaches provide a safe environment for play and learning and teach important lessons about health and social-emotional learning. Coaches, parents, and educators collaborate to ensure kids have a support system on the field, in the classroom, and at home. Participants earn game time based on teacher-submitted academic and behavior reports. Throughout the year, kids have the opportunity to travel to other Chicago communities for games and take field trips to Chicago cultural institutions.
Play with Potential supports healthy and active school environments.
23 Schools | 15,500 Kids
Play with Potential is a recess program that uses the power of positive play to maximize the social-emotional, health, and academic benefits of recess periods. The program is offered to all students in a school, grades K-8, and aims to maximize students’ opportunities for social-emotional learning and physical activity while promoting cooperation and teamwork. We have dedicated on-site staff and a broad curriculum that elevates opportunities for students to engage positively in play at recess.
Pretty amazing, right?!
