Chicago Basketball League (CBL) is an organization based in Hyde Park, Chicago that functions as a basketball league and community outreach program. CBL’s humble beginnings trace back to when it began in 2006 as a bi-weekly Tuesday/Thursday mass pick-up game. In 2008, this evolved into a full league with 5 teams and a 12 game schedule, servicing about 40 players. This year as a league, it has ballooned into a 12 team league with over 140 players. It is bigger than ever, having a 13-game schedule and complete with corporate and local sponsors. It started with just a handful of undergrads, and now includes everyone ranging from undergrads, graduate students, alumni, neighborhood players, UChicago faculty and staff, professionals from across the city, and even former D1 basketball players.

In the present year and under the leadership of AmeriCorps member YJ Gahng, CBL continues to function as a league but has now embraced a more profound role as a agent of community empowerment. More specifically, CBL has become a Hyde Park-based effort to promote education for children in under-served communities throughout the Chicago area. CBL is comprised of hard-working individuals who come from unique backgrounds and are well on their way to becoming the future leaders of tomorrow because of their investment in education. Their stories are ones that can inspire those who hear it and CBL seeks to share them with the next generation of students. From school-wide panel discussions to inviting students to the CBL charity championship game, the CBL Community Outreach Program organizes events such as these to inspire children to become invested in their education and continue pursuing their respective dreams.

CBL's Community Outreach Program functions through two primary functions: CBL Role Models Program and CBL Sponsor-A-Student Program. Under the CBL Role Models program, CBL sends its members to local classrooms to share personal stories that reflect the importance of being invested in education and embracing passions. The concept of this program is founded on the idea that sometimes the perfect form of inspiration comes not from a family relative or a close friend but an individual that one shares a distance with. We use a discussion-based structure to encourage student interaction followed by a pick-up game of basketball to build relationships with the students. CBL players have continued to nurture these relationships by also participating in school-wide pen-pal letter exchanges and continued classroom visits. Just recently, CBL has partnered up with the Dulles School of Excellence, which is located on 63rd and King Street, to organize such an event.

Every "All-Star Week" during the CBL basketball league season, CBL organizes numerous fundraising events with its sponsors, members, and local community to raise money for this yearly scholarship known as the Sponsor-A-Student Program. This program looks to sponsor students from partnering Chicago schools and support their journey to higher education with numerous benefits. The benefits include the following: 1) free admission to compete in the CBL basketball season 2) an overnight visit to the University of Chicago 3) full coverage of costs for a SAT or ACT prep course and 4) mentorship during the college application process.

CBL's vision is to grow as a community outreach organization and basketball league throughout the Chicago area as we look to expand to other universities-based locations. This organization is unique as it embraces a shared passion that is strongly present in the Chicago communities and utilizes it to promote a higher cause as it looks to empower the local youth and provide its members the immeasurable opportunities to become active agents of their community. Our hope is that the CBL experience will make a life-long impact on the children and adults that we connect with through a community-oriented means. For more information on CBL and its efforts, please visit: chibbl.com. Thank you.