We are the future -- message rings loud and clear at Eastside Poetry Slam!

Written by Jake Lloyd
Communications Manager

We are all more than just kids. We. Are. The. Future.

And with that line, Burrville Elementary School's poet-athletes -- wearing "Burrville Strong" T-shirts -- summed up the underlying message sent during the second night of the 19th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam! at H.D. Woodson High School.

DC SCORES school communities east of Washington, DC's Anacostia River are strong, and never was that more evident than Thursday night when the 20 teams who took the stage collectively told the audience -- and anyone else listening -- what shouldn't have to be said.

WE MATTER. WE WILL SUCCEED.

"Me and my peers will not shed tears, but we will persevere."
-- KIPP KEY Academy

----------------------

The night ended just like it had the previous two years -- with Aiton Elementary School's poets, coaches and parents rushing the stage. The Aiton Bears were Golden Mic champions, and no one was arguing.

Donning "Straight Outta Aiton" T-shirts and with their hands shackled by paper-created chains, the Bears delivered yet another powerful, united, inspiring, and thought-provoking performance.

I've been craving dreams to wake up without being assaulted
To live in a place where skin won't define any human
Where people won't gamble with our lives
To not see crying mothers burying their child



Aiton's 8-, 9- and 10-year-old kids interwove black history, today's struggles, and their perseverance beautifully in a performance that spoken word professionals would be proud of.

The Bears punctuated it by raising their chained fists in the air, the paper chains harmlessly falling to the ground, and saying, as one:

Choose to live a life that matters
Choose this day to make your life matter
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Our lives matter 

----------------------

That theme -- our lives matter -- was present throughout the night in front of the capacity audience. During a time of such uncertainty in our country and our communities, the Slam! was a refreshing reminder that these poet-athletes are wise and strong beyond their years. They may only be single digits in age, but their voices are powerful beyond any sort of measure.

There was Delaney B., 11, of Kelly Miller Middle School, taking the mic, stepping to the front of the stage, and being brutally honest about the disadvantages she faces.

Yes, I understand I may have some ups and downs but ALL people do.
Yes, I am Black but the fact that I’m a girl sometimes makes it even harder.

But Delaney reminded the audience that she's not complaining. She will show the world her fortitude.

I have a dream which is to overcome what you may think of me.


...

There was Arnye Y., 10, of Thomas Elementary School, with maybe the most captivating solo poem of the evening:

They say man down, but what about woman down?
They say man up, but what about woman up?

If Arnye isn't in public office within two decades, we'll be surprised.


...

And there was KIPP AIM, decked out in their red school uniforms with one kid holding a sign reading "For our past, our broken brothers," delivering a performance multiple generations of African-American could relate to. If DC's new Smithsonian Museum is looking for children's poetry from the District, it's right here:

For our past, our broken brothers
We are a family
Connected through blood, history, and shared struggle
Why do we fight one another?
We can choose to leave the hardships and troubles in our past
All we need is a breath that lasts
We’ve felt more pain than others
But we’ve been able to withstand it by standing together
We’ve been beaten and broken
Through slavery, segregation, mass incarceration
The wounds may heal and the scars may fade
But the pain of a thousand atrocities pulses through my veins
Beat us down, lock us up
I choose to beat the odds and lock those struggles in the past
I refuse to let this nightmare last

----------------------

It's too bad President Barack Obama wasn't in attendance, because he was included, too. Because while these DC SCORES teams from the District's most underserved areas decried the circumstances that make their lives difficult, they also made one thing clear:

They're proud. 

Of their school communities. Of their neighborhoods. Of their families (if KIPP QUEST Academy's "I love my Mom because..." poem didn't make you cry, you're one of the few). Of their city. And of their country.

Imagine Hope Tolson's students put on their best Hawaiian fashion, Wearing leis around their necks, the well-educated Soaring Eagles delivered an ode to the president:

Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama
For inspiring youth to reach for their goals.
MA-- HA-- LO
Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama 
For helping to open the new National Museum of African American History and Culture.
MA--HA--LO
Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama
For creating the largest protected marine wildlife preserve in the world.
MA--HA--LO
Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama,
For investing in education, technology, and renewable energy.
MA--HA--LO
Ma-Ha-Lo President Obama

Mashir C., 10, followed this ode with one to his hometown of Washington, DC, listing all the reasons he loves his city.



----------------------

I have the urge to be me
Myself because I am me
I will not change just for someone just like me

Amidon-Bowen Elementary School delivered these words to start the night, and they rang true for the following two hours. From when emcee Charity Blackwell asked the kids to yell, "I LOVE DC SCORES" and eardrums popped until D.C. United players Travis Worra and Jalen Robinson and Shayne Wells from the Deputy Mayor for Education's office handed out trophies, kids didn't act.

They were themselves. Authentic. Genuine.

Some were serious, such as Jefferson Middle School's Janiah P., 13, who won the Shine Award and helped the Trojans take home the Golden Mic. Others were funny, such as Payne Elementary School with lines like, "When I grow up, I want to rap like Fetty Wap."

All impressed. All cheered for each other.

Our community is strong. Our neighborhoods our strong. Our city is strong. And especially our kids are strong.

That's what came across in the WUSA-9 (CBS) segment during the 11PM news, and that was real.

"We are all more than just kids. We. Are. The. Future."

----------------------

Elementary Schools

1st place -- Aiton Elementary School
2nd place -- Amidon-Bowen Elementary School
3rd place -- Burrville Elementary School
Spirit Award -- Imagine Hope Tolson
Shine Award -- Arnye Y., Thomas Elementary School

Middle Schools
1st place -- Jefferson Middle School
2nd place -- Kelly Miller Middle School
3rd place -- KIPP KEY Academy
Spirit Awards -- KIPP AIM Academy
Shine Award -- Janiah P., Jefferson

2015 Eastside Poetry Slam! -- I am powerful, I am enough!

Written by Jake Lloyd
Communications Manager

Before the Eastside DC SCORES Poetry Slam! began Thursday evening, guest poet Malachi Byrd did a call-and-response with the hundreds of young poets inside H.D. Woodson High School.

"I am powerful," the DC Youth Slam Team member said.

"I am POWERFUL," responded kids representing the 18 teams.

"I am enough." "I am ENOUGH!"

But then a kid piped up from the crowd, "What does 'I'm enough' mean?" Good question, responded Bird, who told the kid and every poet-athlete in attendance what they've come to realize and embrace during the 12-week fall DC SCORES writing program.

That who they are and what they do is, simply, enough. That they should love themselves.

And that was the theme of what followed -- an array of serious, funny, poignant and brilliantly choreographed performances that captivated a capacity audience.

----------------

The Aiton Elementary School Bears are known in DC SCORES circles for being quite the tenacious, determined soccer players. They are athletes led by a coach, Mr. Hollins, who takes their games seriously and holds each poet-athlete accountable.

The Bears were in character Thursday, marching out on stage as boxers and dazzling the audience with a rhythmic, perfectly choreographed performance that might land some of these Bears in Hollywood (if they're not playing professional soccer).

I can/I can!
I can learn/I can learn!
I can achieve/I can achieve
I am successful/I am successful!
I am a scholar/I am a scholar!

The Aiton Bears were the Aiton Bears, and at night's end they rushed the stage for a second consecutive year after winning the Golden Mic trophy and danced joyously alongside D.C. United coach Ben Olsen and goalie Travis Worra.

----------------

Beers Elementary School's second-place performance was dictated by an event that hit close to home. Earlier in the year, the Cheetahs (team name) lost a beloved teacher to breast cancer.

The Cheetahs not only dedicated their performance to the teacher, but made it educational. Poem 1 was for Mrs. Agurs:

We were blessed to have you on this earth

We wish you were here to help us with our work

You were very inspiring and pretty

I wish we had more people like you in this city

Then the students, all dressed in pink, performed "Cure It," a plea to find a cure for the awful disease and for women to take every precaution possible to avoid and/or detect it.

And finally, the Cheetahs performed an ode to all their DC Public School teachers. They might be third- through fifth-graders, but their understanding of life's delicacies and embracing what you have shined brightly. 

Teachers educate us and give us knowledge

They give us work to prepare us for college

You teach us different subjects like ELA, science and math

Don't torture them before you come to school/Please take a bath!

----------------

Each team took the stage in different outfits. As is usually the case, there were plenty of schools sporting their soccer uniforms -- proud of all the progress they made on the field this fall and feeling united as one, the same school name on every child's jersey.

Leckie Elementary School, decked out in their customary gold shirts, showed great pride in their ethnicity.

"Black like you, Black like me, Black like us, Black like me!"

"Black is beautiful!"

Orr Elementary School brought silly to the stage with an "I am" poem. Each kid approached the microphone and said something completely unpredictable and outrageous, and laughter ricocheted off the walls of the auditorium. The Jaguars finished their performance with an ode to rain set to the song "Drip Drop."

KIPP Quest brought the audience back to serious matters with an appropriate reaction to an event in their community -- a shooting. This was the second time in five years the students at the school, formerly Arts and Technology Academy, had to deal with violence right outside their building's doors. 

The Poetry Slam! stage provided what it did then, too -- a safe place for the kids to express their feelings. They did so in a well-rounded way that demonstrated how proud they are to represent their community and also what needs to change. They started with group poems about "urban rappers" and how good they can be, and followed that up with a fun "If I was a rapper" poem.

The rapper in me is an urban poet

The rapper in us goes to KIPP DC

See all rappers are not bad

They go to college and get degrees

And then Shine Award winner M'kya S. punctuated the performance with a solo poem and dropped the mic with this:

"The next time you want to shoot, shoot with cameras -- not guns"

----------------

Words, words

Words have power

Words have power
Words have power

Moten Elementary School's poets were the second team under the bright lights and they helped set the stage for the night.

Whether teams were educating about breast cancer, decrying violence in their community, showing how fun it is to be goofy, embracing their skin color, or boxing to the beat of their words, all poet-athletes on stage embraced themselves and their teams. 

And that was more than enough.

----------------

Elementary Schools 
1st place — Aiton Elementary School
2nd place — Beers Elementary School
3rd place — Burrville  Elementary School
Spirit Award — J.C. Nalle Elementary School
Shine Award — M'kya S., KIPP QUEST

Middle Schools \
1st place — Jefferson Middle School
2nd place — Hart Middle School
3rd place — KIPP KEY
Spirit Award — Eliot-Hine Middle School
Shine Award — Lorenzo J., KIPP KEY

Poem of the Week: Adrianna Y., Aiton Elementary School

During the winter, we will highlight just a handful of the original poems that students wrote during the fall season and performed at the 17th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam! in early December. To watch any performance from the Slam!, visit our YouTube channel.

Courage
Courage is opportunity, take it
Courage is beautiful, appreciate it
Courage is daring, face it
Courage is like a soccer game, play it
Courage is trouble, overcome it
Courage is a battle, confront it
Courage is risky, stand up to it
We have no fear!!! We are fearless

Adrianna Y., 10, 5th grade, 
Aiton Elementary School

Teamwork, leadership, commitment (and much more) on display at Eastside Poetry Slam!

(See our first-look Eastside Poetry Slam! photo album HERE; Storify HERE.)

"We good in school/ that's the No. 1 rule/ TLC be cool."

That line came from Miner Elementary School, the first of 20 schools to perform at the DC SCORES Eastside Poetry Slam! Thursday. It set the tone for a special night.

During an inspiring, captivating, often hilarious, and often courageous three hours at H.D. Woodson High School, DC SCORES teams could not have better demonstrated the Teamwork, Leadership and Commitment -- SCORES' core values -- that's instilled during the fall season.

-------------

Teamwork.

There was Aiton Elementary School on stage, clapping and stomping in perfect unison as one student after another approached the microphone to describe why they're a survivor.

I’m a survivor because I never give up
I’m a survivor because I’m a strong young man
I’m a survivor because I keep a cool head
I’m a survivor because I reach for the Stars
I’m a survivor because I have faith
I’m a survivor because I don’t criticize, I exercise


That was just a small piece of Aiton's Golden Mic-winning performance, which the Bears rightfully celebrated by rushing the stage to hoist the large trophy. The celebration is surely continuing in the school's halls today.

There was Drew Elementary, the school that burst on the scene in its first Poetry Slam! by claiming the Golden Mic a year ago. When a school joins DC SCORES, there's always the question of how quickly the kids will buy into the spoken word and self-expression component of the program. At Drew, that's never been an issue.

Drew began its second-place-winning show with a step-dance routine, before a kid interrupted to say, "That's OLD SCHOOL, we did that last year!" It was just part of a beautifully synchronized and choreographed performance that began with a poem about hot pink, ended with a solo "About Me" poem -- just one type of poem kids learn during the fall -- and included this in the middle:

You Know 
You know I am the best, because I always try on tests
You know I am a winner, because I eat healthy dinners
You know I am a king, because I always help my team
You know I am a star, can't you see me from afar?
You know I am intelligent, aren't my DC-CAS scores relevant?
You know I am the greatest, because I strive to be the greatest



-------------

Leadership.

Much like on the soccer field, DC SCORES poetry teams need leaders -- kids who will take ownership of the team, help others, and when the Slam! arrives, often perform the solo poem.

The near-capacity crowd at H.D. Woodson was loud and boisterous all night. There were hoots, hollers, loads of encouragement, and plenty of laughs.

It could have been seemed an intimidating environment, especially for a kid all alone under the lights. But that was never the case, and this was best exemplified by Leron B.'s Shine Award-winning poem, "Freedom Isn't Free." Imagine Hope Charter School was the second-to-last school to perform during a long night, but Leron kept the crowd captivated.

People are being held back, held down.
Let people express themselves instead of frown
Have their dreams and be who they are...
Shouldn't everyone be a star?
Freedom isn't Free!

-------------

Commitment.


Middle schools that perform in the DC SCORES Poetry Slam! have an added challenge.

Not only are they tasked with performing three poems in front of hundreds of people; they have to produce their spoken word pieces to music. Getting the timing and rhythm down -- and incorporating everyone -- is a big challenge.

KIPP AIM has mastered it.

The middle schoolers in their orange soccer uniforms might have even upped their Golden Mic-winning performance from a year ago with a committed, nonstop entertaining show that had many in the audience singing along.

First they did a remix of J. Cole's "Got me up all night," inserting their own lyrics.

Got me up all night, trying to get these A's tho
GOT ME Up all night, all I'm doing is learning

Then, after William T. invoked Frederick Douglass in a solo poem, KIPP AIM brought down the house with remixes of the current hit song "Lifestyle" and the forever classic "Man in the Mirror."

You're looking at the kids going to college
We’re going to achieve our dreams
And No Mission Could be
Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The hood A Better Place
you gotta pick up your bags and go to school

-------------

From Miner's opening to Kelly Miller Middle School's closing, there was no dropoff during the three-hour Poetry Slam!. Emcee Charity Blackwell had the large crowd's attention from the get-go, DJ RBI had kids dancing in their seats in between (and even during) every performance, and the dance contest while scores were being tallied got so loud, eardrums popped.

Each great performance helped inspire the next. It might have been Thomas Elementary's first Slam!, but like Drew last year, the Tigers matched the competition and had many of the night's best lines, including, "When I'm president, my phone's gonna be blowing up!" Thomas finished in third place in an incredibly competitive field.


And just like every other school, they demonstrated that TLC that shined on stage throughout the evening.

Below is the full list of winners from the second night of the 17th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!.

-------------

Elementary Schools
1st place — Aiton Elementary School
2nd place — Drew Elementary
3rd place — Thomas Elementary
School Spirit Award — J.C. Nalle Elementary
Shine Award — Leroy B., Imagine Hope Community Charter - Tolson Campus

Middle Schools
1st place — KIPP AIM
2nd place — Chavez Parkside
3rd place — Kelly Miller Middle School
Spirit Award — Johnson Middle

Who's ready for fall? Poetry Slam! jam: Aiton Elementary School

The fall 2014 DC SCORES season begins September 15!

To see images representing all 47 of our program schools, follow us on Instagram @dc_scores for a school-by-school countdown until Opening Day.

On this blog, each week day leading up to the season we'll highlight a school's Poetry Slam! performance from 2013. Just about everyone is familiar with the soccer component of DC SCORES, but the self-expression aspect is just as important. Each fall, all of our 1,500 youth go through a three-month curriculum that culminates in every school performing original works of spoken word at our blockbuster event of the year, the Poetry Slam!.

Watch, be inspired, and mark your calendar for December 3-4, the dates of the 2014 Slam!

SCHOOL: Aiton Elementary School

BEGAN DC SCORES: 1999

STANDOUT POETRY SLAM! LINE: "Shine bright like a diamond."

Watch Aiton above or here.

View Aiton photos here.

Alumni profile: Aaron Hutchins, entrepreneur and teambuilder

The memory is etched in Aaron Hutchins’ mind like a life milestone. It was the day he realized what he wanted to do with his life.

He recalls the experience detail by detail.

“One day my neighbor’s house caught on fire and his dog was chained to the back of the house, and it was the second floor that was on fire. I went and got his dog and then I thought, ‘What if the dog was inside? Would I really have gone in to get it.’ And then I guess I answered yes.

“That was it. That’s how I knew I wanted to do this.”

Ever since that day in 2012, Aaron, 17, has strove to help -- if not in as dramatic fashion. He began lifeguarding soon after rescuing the dog and now, having just graduated from Phelps High School, is pursuing a career in either carpentry or firefighting.

Whether it’s laying a sturdy foundation for people’s homes or saving others from danger, the DC SCORES alum is dedicated to serving others.

And leading.

-----------------------------------------

Aaron can't apply for the carpentry apprentice program until he turns 18 on July 26. He is waiting on his volunteer firefighting application to be reviewed.

In the meantime, he is keeping plenty busy. OK, that's an understatement.

In high school, Aaron decided to start his own business. It began with a typical job for teenagers -- mowing neighbors' lawns. However, it didn't take long before he was landscaping and then doing construction. Soon, Aaron had business cards made -- reading "Hutchins Property Improvement" -- and began taking on complicated projects including resurfacing a hardwood floor, building and painting a shed from scratch, pouring concrete, and installing a fence in a backyard.

Aaron has also continued to lifeguard, so you can imagine the amount of downtime he's had -- very little.

Understanding he couldn't complete such ambitious projects by himself -- especially on timelines satisfactory to his clients; his business cards have the tagline "Your schedule is our schedule" -- Aaron hired a few friends with similar skill sets to become part of his team. Soon, he was leading a business that continued to grow during his high school years.

"I've just been interested in construction for my whole life, really," Aaron said. "I've been living in the same house my whole life and that house was built back in 1912. Of course, there are just a few problems. When I was little, the carpenter might come out and I was always there just sitting and watching him, always really interested in it."

But where was Aaron's ability to lead a team of workers born?

-----------------------------------------

As an alum, Aaron handed out
trophies at the annual Poetry Slam!.

Aaron played soccer for the first time as a member of the DC SCORES team at Aiton Elementary School. During three years of wearing the Bears' blue uniform on the soccer field and on stage at the Poetry Slam!, Aaron learned how to be a good team member and blossomed into a leader.

He became the captain of the Bears, instructing teammates where to be on the soccer field and helping classmates with their poetry. 

"Especially since I was the captain of my team, it helped me develop my leadership skills," Aaron said. "(Now) it helps me manage my business as far as having other people work under me. 

"That kind of helps me realize what everyone wants, what I want, and what's best for business."

Aaron further honed his leadership skills when he became re-engaged with DC SCORES in high school (his middle school didn't have the program). As a DC SCORES alum, Aaron learned about a leadership team that was being formed to organize events for former program participants in high school. He applied for and was voted the alumni group's president

Soon, Aaron began scheduling meetings for students from across the city and took charge of organizing events such as the alumni soccer tournament that has expanded into a large-scale annual happening that's a highlight of the year for many.

Taking on such tasks more than prepared the young entrepreneur for his current venture.

"The (company) growth I anticipate, it wouldn't have been there without DC SCORES," Aaron said.

The leadership and initiative Aaron learned while at Aiton and built on in high school can also be applied to such experiences as saving the dog -- and taking charge every day at the pool as a lifeguard.

-----------------------------------------

Aaron Hutchins loves building. He helped build the team at Aiton during the school's early years in DC SCORES. Today, he continues to build his business -- he's currently doing drywall and painting; working on a hot water heater; and has a fence project upcoming -- while keeping his eye on the future.

He hopes to complete the one-year firefighting volunteer program and begin the four-year carpentry apprenticeship at the same time, and looks toward a future where he can pair his business cards and work ethic with a certification (or two).

And down the road, Aaron plans -- not surprisingly -- to do more building. With his own hands.

"When I get older, I want to have my company build my own house," Aaron says. "I know that, OK, I might find my dream house. But it's one thing to find your dream house, and another thing to actually build it.

"Knowing that it will be there long after me, something to have my kids look up to, (it's) sort of like a motivation to do good."

-----------------------------------------

Need construction help? Just want to follow Aaron's business? Connect with him via email at aaron.hutchins.ah@gmail.com and on Instagram.

DC SCORES students feel empowered, have voices of change on Global Youth Service Day

It was a beautiful morning on Saturday, April 27, at Tubman Elementary School in Columbia Heights. As people were sleeping in, going on a morning jog or heading to brunch, four DC SCORES teams participated in Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world.  

Global Youth Service Day is a weekend-long event dedicated to service-learning projects created and implemented throughout six continents and 100 countries all led by youth.  At Tubman, C.W. Harris Elementary School students joined their friends from the Winter SCORES program, Bancroft and Thomson elementary schools, along with Aiton Elementary for a day of fun and fitness.

DC SCORES was able to host the event thanks to service grants received from the Sodexo Foundation, Disney Friends for Change and UnitedHealth HEROES.

The theme? 

“Dance, Run, Play.”

The youth danced to Beyonce’s “Move Your Body,” the “Cha Cha Slide,” “Cupid Shuffle” and the “Wobble.” They really got down when it was time to show the DCSCORES staff and volunteers how to “Dougie” and “Gangham Style.”  

They then created snack bags to promote “portion control” when bringing snacks to school. After all, as long as eaten in moderation, most snacks are good for you! They filled the bags with their favorite fruits and veggies. The kids also created banners that read “Healthy Food for Everybody” and “Dance, Run, Play” along with many posters for the ultimate event of the day — the walk-a-thon. 

Next up, it was time to take the Presidential Fitness Test, which measures students on their level of fitness. Students turned the test into a fun competition, with each school’s youth measuring their collective fitness level. Medals were given for demonstrating strength and endurance, but more importantly as symbols of kids’ dedication to being fit and healthy for their DC SCORES teams.

When it was time to cool off, students were greeted by the smiling face of Sodexo volunteers eager to see the service their grant helped fund! At their station, kids made their own trail mix with such goodies as Chex, pretzels and chocolate chips, along with fruits and fruit juice.

Then, finally, it was time for the main event. The WALK-A-THON! 

At 12:30 p.m., we all gathered our posters and banners and lined up outside of Tubman ready to march! The students took to 13th Street chanting and cheering! 

“When I say fruits, you say veggies.” 

“Fruits! Veggies!”

“Fruits! Veggies!”  

Spectators admired and cars honked in support as our change makers belted out, “NO KID HUNGRY, NO KID HUNGRY!” 

Paula, a fifth-grader at Aiton, led the march with her megaphone, encouraging the community to “Wake up and start eating healthy! Say no to cheeseburgers, eat a turkey burger! Say no to junk food and eat a salad!”

As we turned from Otis Street onto 11th, the Saturday brunch patrons at The Coup, Red Rocks Pizza and Wonderland got a lesson from our kids on healthy eating. We began singing, “Healthy life equals a happy life” as we danced and waved our banners. Customers cheered and may have also questioned their brunch choices as our kids informed them on the growing issue of childhood obesity.  

Crossing the last street light on our way back to Tubman, we paraded on the sidewalk, boasting, “DC SCORES keeps us healthy, DC SCORES keeps us healthy!” 

Not only was Global Youth Service Day an event to promote healthy eating and living for the community, it was a day of empowerment for DC SCORES students. The day allowed students to advocate for change — and feel really good doing it! — for their respective communities. 

This was demonstrated by Paula, our walk-a-thon leader, who after the walk called her mom to say, “Mom, you would have been so proud of me! I led the entire walk-a-thon, they had me on the microphone, and I was telling everyone to eat healthy!” 

Or Ti-Ti, an Aiton fourth-grader who jumped up and down as she received her medal for the Presidential Fitness Test, exclaiming, “This is my first medal EVER!”  

So often kids feel unimportant as parents, teachers and other adults tell them what to do and how to live. Global Youth Service Day — and the DC SCORES spring service-learning season as a whole — is a day set aside for youth to voice their opinions and create awareness on issues that solely effect them, such as childhood hunger and childhood obesity.

Consider the mission, this year, very well accomplished!

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!

Highlighting our youth poets: Aiton Elementary School

NOTE: Each week, we are featuring a school's performance from the 14th Annual Poetry Slam!. During the two-night culminating event of the fall season, each of the 27 schools DC SCORES serves had the opportunity to perform original poems and songs in front of their peers, families and community members. 

On the second night of the Slam!, Aiton's large team of 20-plus students put on an entertaining spoken-word and step-dancing performance for the capacity audience at the new H.D. Woodson High School.

Check out Aiton's inspiring performance! 

To view any performance from the Poetry Slam!, visit the DC SCORES YouTube page.

Highlighting our Inspired Art Gala student performers: Kereemah S., Aiton Elementary School

NOTE: Each week, we are featuring a performance from the 2nd Annual Inspired Art Gala, held May 18 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art! During the Gala, seven individual poet-athletes and one team put on tremendous performances for the audience of DC SCORES supporters. Learn more about the annual Gala on our website.

Kareemah S. of Aiton Elementary School drew laughter from the crowd of DC SCORES supporters with her hit poem "Lightening."

Check out Kareemah's performance!

See more DC SCORES videos, including summer campers step dancing and African drumming, on our YouTube page.