Hoops On The Block & Playstreets

With support from LISC Chicago, BUILD is proud to offer our annual  installment of Hoops on The Block, bringing community-centered athletics to Austin and Humboldt Park, while “taking back” streets that have experienced violence, creating safe spaces for youth and adults to build positive relationships, and fostering a sense of community. This week find us at the 4700 block of W. Monroe and at Erie Charter School

In addition to basketball and community engagement, Hoops on The Block serves as a point of entry for BUILD’s year-round programming, extending the project’s impact beyond the summer. In this way, BUILD’s Hoops on The Block program will continue to impact neighborhood violence, offering young people opportunities for positive transformation throughout the year while empowering them to reach their full academic, career, and leadership potential.

Program objectives for BUILD’s Hoops on the Block program include:

• Reclaim neighborhood blocks that have experienced violence and create a safe space for youth and community members to connect and engage in positive activity
• Increase regular access to open play spaces for Chicago youth
• Build a network of agencies focused on increasing physical and outdoor space for Chicago youth