Unilever and Walgreens unveiled a new activity and life skills learning area at the Midtown Education Foundation’s Metro Achievement Center, USA, serving inner-city girls in Chicago from grades 4 through 12, at an event here yesterday evening. The new Activity and Life Skills learning area, a formerly unfinished and unutilized space at the Metro Achievement Center, will expand personal and educational development programs to support girls ages 8 to 18.

Photo Courtesy: Unilever-Walgreens

The joint community effort is tied to Unilever’s National Customer Development (CD) Leadership Team’s semi-annual meeting held in Chicago on October 28. As part of the group’s regular gatherings, the 70 Unilever leaders seek out a key community project to address in the local area. In lieu of recreational outings, the team opted to roll up their sleeves, partnering with 8 executives at Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens and give back to the community.

Enhancements to the center will include inspirational pictures depicting young women at the height of achievement. The refurbished space will host life skill lessons, like cooking and personal hygiene, exercise and dance classes.

«Unilever is committed to improving the lives of consumers where we live, work and play, and Walgreens has a proven track record of reaching consumers in the heart of their communities,» said Joe Cavaliere, senior vice president of Customer Development at Unilever. «We are proud to partner with Walgreens to help make a difference in the lives of these girls in Chicago.»

Walgreens has championed the center and played a major role in its ongoing development for over 20 years. In fact it was their exemplary efforts in this regard that first caught the attention of Unilever’s Customer Development executives and led to today’s major event.