Spring 2016 season begins for DC SCORES!

The spring DC SCORES season begins this afternoon when the school bell lets out. Across Washington, DC, kids at elementary and middle schools and rec centers will reunite with friends and coaches. Customized DC SCORES school jerseys will be handed out.

• The first soccer balls will be rolled out.

• Kids will roll up their sleeves and begin to examine their communities and create change.

• Let 12 weeks of soccer and service-learning -- culminating with the Jamboree! June 4 -- begin!

You can get involved this spring by volunteering or donating to directly support programming. See below for more information.

Where is DC SCORES? 

See the map below and click here for a Google Map. The short answer: All across Washington, DC, in 7 of the city's 8 wards.

How service-learning works 

Here's a step-by-step process of how DC SCORES teams go about creating and implementing service-learning projects in their communities

• Step 1: Walk around your school and neighborhood with a clipboard and pencil and write down things you don’t like (trash on the ground, lack of trees and gardens, too many struggling homeless people).

• Step 2: Research the topic(s) that you identify as the biggest need. Examples could include looking up statistics about homelessness in DC or depression among middle school youth, among many others.

• Step 3: Implement a service-learning project. Take action! Execute a comprehensive plan to make your school and/or greater community better.

• Step 4: Spend the last few days reflecting on the project. What did you learn? What else can be done going forward to make a difference?

This all sounds like a lot for a group of adults, but they’re actually often the beneficiaries of the work by 8- 9- and 10-year olds in DC SCORES. Yes, during this spring’s 12-week season, teams at 45 elementary and middle school sites across DC will feel empowered through service-learning and will create change in their communities.

EVENTS

In addition to our biggest, celebratory event, the Jamboree!, the spring season features six weeks of elementary and middle school game days and our annual alumni soccer tournament. Also, the America SCORES National Poetry SLAM! is the premier national showcase of SCORES, which is in 14 cities nationwide!

GAME DAYS

It's no secret -- Game Day is the most fun day for our poet-athletes, kids' families, and our staff! On Thursdays and Fridays throughout the spring, we bus teams throughout DC to visit new neighborhoods, make new friends, and strengthen their communities. Volunteers referee, a staff member supervises each site, and once the whistle is blown, the girls play first followed by the boys.

See this blog and the videos below for more on the game day experience, and find out where the next games are by visiting the soccer schedule page of our website. 

GET SOCIAL!

At an event? Taking photos or videos? Connect with us and use #SpringSCORES16!