Global Youth Service Day -- A preview!

Students at last year's Global Youth Service Day.

April 27th will be a busy day for the Bancroft SCORES team and their friends from Aiton, CW Harris and Thomson Elementary Schools. From 10-1pm, the DC SCORES poet-athletes, families, community members, and partners will be participating in Global Youth Service Day, making a difference and creating change in their neighborhood. 

Thanks to generous support from Youth Service America, Bancroft, CW Harris, and Thomson students have had the opportunity to get a jumpstart on their service learning projects and in making a difference. Youth Service America (YSA) has sponsored Global Youth Service Day for 25 years. Celebrated in more than 100 countries across the globe, GYSD brings communities together for a day for service and activism, inspired and created by young people.

DC SCORES students, who participated in our Winter SCORES healthy living and nutrition programming,  are working hard this spring to tackle two interrelated problems. A recent US Census report found that nearly 1 in 2 young people under the age of 18 in the DC area are at risk of hunger. Paradoxically, many of these same young people are obese. The most recent statistics show that 43% of DC students are overweight or obese: the 9th highest percentage of overweight and obese youth in the nation.

This year, Bancroft students received a generous YSA UnitedHealth Heroes grant for their Power of Running project. They’ve been tracking their steps with pedometers, participating in fitness clinics, and learning about healthy eating, thanks to the support of UnitedHealthcare.

CW Harris and Thomson students have also developed a day that is sure to be full of both fun and service. The theme? “End Childhood Hunger!”  With the generous support of a Sodexo Foundation grant, these teams will work on Global Youth Service Day to end hunger in our city and around the globe.

On April 27th, DC SCORES participants from all teams will celebrate with an event at Tubman Elementary School to raise awareness. Kids, parents, and DC SCORES will spend the day participating in activities designed to promote physical well-being and fitness. Participants can take the Presidential Fitness Test, try out their dance skills during a Zumba workshop, and participate in a food and nutrition demo sponsored by the Sodexo Foundation. Thanks to support from Disney, the program will also be able to include DC SCORES alumni. There will also be a station for sign making and arts and crafts, in preparation for the culmination of the event: a Walkathon around the Columbia Heights neighborhood to garner support for the fight against childhood obesity and world hunger.

It’ll be a great kickoff to our season of service learning; a fantastic opportunity to support grassroots community activism; and a chance to better understand the role of service in the DC SCORES program.

How can you help? Come on out to support DC SCORES kids as they work to make a difference. Learn more about our great partners and generous sponsors by checking out the links below. We can’t wait to see you next week!