Chicago Baseball & Educational Academy
Empowering Chicago Youth to Dream Big
Throughout his MLB baseball career, playing for teams across the country, Curtis Granderson became acutely aware that many children lacked access to athletics, education and mentoring opportunities. To close this gap, he established the Curtis Granderson Foundation to support youth-based programs and initiatives and started the Chicago Baseball and Educational Academy at his alma matter, the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC).
His donation of $5 million helped build state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor training facilities and upgraded the baseball stadium to enhance and enrich the lives of Chicago youth by connecting community-based sports programs to the NCAA Division 1 facilities and education provided by CBEA at UIC—available FREE of charge. CBEA enables the youth of Chicago to see possibilities are closer than they ever imagined and empowers them to achieve a brighter future.
CBEA strives to provide Chicago youth with access to high quality baseball and softball programs and educational opportunities that encourage them to embrace possibilities and empowers them to dream big.
Our Story
Our Programs
CBEA programs are designed to give young people—ages 8 to 18—from diverse backgrounds and under-resourced neighborhoods in Chicago, the opportunity to experience baseball and fastpitch softball coaching, training and mentoring. We provide access to state-of-the-art practice space and ball fields at UIC, skills clinics and tournament play through the following:
Since 2016, we’ve provided more than 25,000 Chicago youth with access to athletics and educational opportunities through CBEA’s community partnerships. Hear from coaches and players about the positive impact we bring to their communities in our Stories from the Field video series.
Our Impact
"Due to the important partnership with CBEA, the UIC amenities are available to neighborhood leagues at no cost…to host youth clinics, practices and leadership development workshops.”
~ Cubs Charities
What our community partners have to say…
“The Show Baseball has grown to seven age levels, graduated 100% of our student athletes from high school, and placed over 30 athletes in collegiate programs across the country. This was made possible through our work with CBEA.”
~ The Show Baseball
"Our partnership with CBEA has become so important in our development by allowing us an indoor facility that we can train in the winter months so that we can keep our at-risk kids engaged in some positive training and mentoring."
~ Jackie Robinson West
"The relationship with CBEA is a marketable partnership we can use to show it is adding value for the children who join our league. CBEA’s contributions to our mission, purpose and growth have been tremendous."
~ Dunham Baseball Organization