Our Core Purpose

OWLS exists to empower youth by opening pathways to growth and opportunity.

Mission Statement

OWLS combines the powers of lacrosse, mentorship, and academic support to promote personal growth, school success, and postsecondary readiness for youth in underserved communities.

Our History

Lacrosse & Learning—a match made in Chicago.

OWLS—Outreach With Lacrosse and Schools—was formed in 2011 with a simple goal: to combat an epidemic of physical inactivity and lack of quality enrichment programming in underserved Chicago schools and communities.

Over the years, we’ve added academic support, field trips, career development, informed coaching methods, and more to help maximize every minute of impact on our student-athletes. Since 2011, OWLS has grown from a single program to serving 591 student-athletes across Chicago’s West and South Sides in the 2025-26 school year.

Lacrosse is an ideal sport to help address stress, accelerate learning, and build critical life skills. We serve each student-athlete by helping them create the academic self-efficacy, contribution, positive identity, self-management, and social skills necessary to thrive. We partner with schools in underserved communities to support student access and success, from 3rd grade through high school graduation and beyond.