An incredible 13 years of DC SCORES at Arts and Technology Academy, led by four great leaders

From left: Executive Director Amy Nakamoto, ATA
coaches Joyce Newton, Natasha Davis, and Rodney Curry,
and Senior Director of Programs Katrina Owens. 
ATA coach Robert Lancaster isn't pictured. 

View ATA photos here, and watch videos here. 

On May 31, the Arts and Technology Academy DC SCORES team will come together for one final Jamboree! -- the exclamation point on an incredible 13 years.

ATA is closing at the end of the school year, meaning one of the tightest-knit DC SCORES teams will also conclude programming for a final time. Rodney Curry has been at the Ward 7 school since 1999, when he arrived at the same time as Joyce Newton, Natasha Davis, and Robert Lancaster. Two years later, they all signed up to coach for the after-school program that was starting.

The four of them have stuck together ever since.

"Honestly, I'm going to miss working with Ms. Newton, Ms. Davis, and Mr. Lancaster," Curry said. "We're like family. ... We just have a really good group.

"That's the toughest part -- not having them there -- because we've been leaning on each other for so long."

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On May 6, the ATA coaches were presented with the Teamwork Award at the 2nd Annual SCORE Awards held at Long View Gallery. Before taking the stage, they watched a video that captured dozens of students whose lives they've impacted during the last 13 years.

There were hundreds of kids not pictured.

In the ideal DC SCORES program, we're not just building teams for youth through the combination of soccer, poetry and service-learning -- we're providing the resources for teachers and administrators within the school to also come closer together and ultimately create a tighter-knit school and surrounding community.

That's exactly what happened at ATA.

Curry and Lancaster coach the school's soccer teams while Newton and Davis run the writing and service-learning sessions. Soccer practices and writing sessions are on different days of the week. The coaches could have just done their own thing; instead, they came together and offered a helping hand.

When Curry or Lancaster couldn't make a soccer practice, there was a writing coach to fill in.

"One day I had to serve as a (soccer) coach; I had no idea what I was doing," Newton recalled. "But it was good because I was learning as the kids were during practice. That's what I've been doing since that day -- I've been going out practicing with them.

"One day during the week I will go out there with Mr. Curry or Lancaster just to get a feel, because you never know when you might have to go in and replace them."

The kids at ATA have never had to worry about not having a coach for soccer or writing.

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Selling the soccer aspect of DC SCORES at a new school is easy. Who doesn't like to kick a ball around? Making poetry and service-learning sound fun is much more difficult.

Sitting in the auditorium at H.D. Woodson Senior High School in 2011 watching ATA win a fourth consecutive Golden Mic Trophy for the best Poetry Slam! performance, one could have been forgiven for thinking spoken word had always come easy to dynasty team in their burgundy uniforms.

That, of course, was far from the case. It took several years of Newton and Davis being there every day and letting the kids know just how good at performing they could be and how powerful their voices were.

"Actually our biggest competition was HRA (Howard Road Academy)," Davis said. "I think just going every year to the Poetry Slam! and not really being as prepared as we should have been and watching Howard Road and other schools like Anne Beers perform and do really well -- it made the students really yearn to want to be better, to put together really good poetry."

It all came together when President Obama was elected. The team had always tried to focus their performance on a local or global issue, and in 2008 they put together an inspiring ode to the first black president. 

"The students were so inspired by his election and they were really excited, and the poetry just sort of flowed and everything that we wanted was put together," Davis said. "Once we started practicing, we knew at that moment, 'We have it, we've got it, this is really, really good.'

"And when they got up there and were able to execute it, without any issues at all, we knew at that point that we were a really good contender."

Each year since then, ATA has put together the most powerful and poignant performance about issues affecting their community -- gun violence, test scores, bullying, an ode to MLK when the memorial opened, and, finally, a performance about their school closing.

If you watch any of the school's performances from the past six years, you'll be convinced that the students are incredibly bright and will be leaders in their communities as they grow up. Two ATA students during that time were chosen to represent DC SCORES at the America SCORES National Poetry SLAM! in New York City and also performed on live TV and at other special events. 

"They take a lot of pride, especially when they've been able to contribute," Davis said. "Whether it's a verse, whether it's one or two words, they're able to contribute and feel really, really good about it."

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If you ask any student or parent at ATA about DC SCORES, there's a very good chance they'll know about the program. That's the work of the four coaches, who've ingrained the team culture into the school's hallways and classrooms.

"In the school, they're like rock stars," Davis said of DC SCORES participants. "Prior to the Poetry Slam!, we get the after-school program involved, we rehearse in front of them, rehearse in front of different grade levels."

Added Curry: "Oh, mannnn! It's a good high. Everyone's excited. The school's somewhat buzzing."

The same can be said of Thursday Game Day. Like high school students wearing their varsity jackets, the ATA Jaguars are allowed to wear their jerseys throughout the day. The younger children not yet old enough for the program look up to them and yearn for the opportunity to do the same.

"I think that the system gives them that incentive and gives them the confidence to be willing to play when it's time to play," Curry said. 

The games take place in front of throngs of family members, who cheer on the kids playing on the field adjacent to the school building. During the afternoon, teachers and administrators, their work done for the day, venture over to watch. Everyone knows that Thursday afternoons are Game Day.

Program alumni come to the games, too. Some high school students are now volunteer referees for DC SCORES; others visit the coaches to thank them for the opportunities they provided the students and to give updates on school. 

"We thank them for seeing they're still pushing for and using what we taught them to better their lives," Curry said. "They tell us that their experience with DC SCORES helped them further their education in middle school and high school."

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Come next fall, there will be no Arts and Technology Academy. A KIPP charter school will take over the building, and there's a chance DC SCORES will still have a program there. Curry is hoping to keep it going. 

But there won't be the morning WATA broadcast over the loudspeakers -- which always featured a segment about the Poetry Slam! on the day after -- nor will there be the four-person team that has changed so many lives and created such a vibrant, cohesive community.

A long list of memories, however, will live on.

"It has been for me pulling together the kids and making us a family," Newton said. "A family that cares, a family that shares, helping them to learn what poetry is and how to express themselves through poetry, and also being the soccer coach."

We will miss you, ATA. And never forget you, either. 

Coaches and volunteers celebrated at 2nd Annual SCORE Awards

ATA coaches receive the Teamwork Award.

The mission of DC SCORES is that we build teams through after-school programs for 1,500 low-income DC youth.

However, it's not just the youth at 47 schools who grow together, become friends, and inspire each other to become leaders in their communities — the same can be said for the writing and soccer coaches who make our program possible throughout Washington, DC.

That was showcased — front and center — at the 2nd Annual SCORE Awards celebration Tuesday night at LongView Gallery. Nearly 200 guests were on hand for a night of inspiration, including dozens of coaches.

Many of those coaches took the stage during the event's presentation to receive awards for their dedication to being DC SCORES champions at their schools.

They took the stage together.

The last two trophies handed out during the evening were for the Teamwork Award. First, a group of eight coaches from Truesdell Education Campus crowded in on the small stage to receive their award. There is no way that more than a fifth of Truesdell's K-8 student body would be able to participate in DC SCORES — on elementary and middle school teams — without the unified support of their coaches, who are also teachers in the school.

Next, it was time to celebrate Arts and Technology Academy. Before the coaches took the stage, a special appearance was made by all-star poet Xavier C. — you might remember him from his performance on MSNBC April 7 after the America SCORES National Poetry SLAM! — who wowed the crowd of guests with his powerful and poignant school closing poem.

Charles Robinson and Shannon Nelson
(middle) receive the Kennedy Commitment
Awards from last year's recipients.

Watching Xavier, you could be forgiven for thinking that ATA and its recent streak of four consecutive Poetry Slam! Golden Mic championships is just blessed with incredibly talented students. In fact, it's been a 13-year process led by a group of four coaches who have been there for their poet-athletes from Day 1.

Writing coaches Joyce Newton and Natasha Davis and soccer coaches Rodney Curry and Robert Lancaster developed a tight-knit bond over the years that translated to the teams they built both on the soccer field and in the writing classroom.

"We're like family," Curry said after the coaches received their award. "I'm so thankful to be a part of our team. We've been together so long."

The Teamwork Award was only the last of many given out during the celebratory event. First, the Kennedy Commitment Awards — named after DC SCORES founder Julie Kennedy — were given to Shannon Nelson of Brightwood Education Campus and Charles Robinson of Truesdell, two long-time coaches who have built up their school communities around DC SCORES.

Then the Mingo Roberts Coaching Excellence Award was given to Daryl Forte of Burrville, who has been a staple at his former elementary school since the beginning of the millennium (read our blog from the fall) at Mark "Popsie" Lewis, who is the most recognizable man in the Columbia Heights neighborhood for his incredible dedication to coaching two DC SCORES teams and our older-youth U-16 team (also profiled in the fall).

Next, DC SCORES alum and current high school student Jarmar L. took the stage to read a beautiful ode to coaches that demonstrated the recognition so many of our alumni have for the difference coaches like Popsie — who mentored Jarmar — make in their lives.

Upon completing his poem and receiving a rousing ovation, Jarmar stepped off the stage and was greeted by Lewis' big embrace.

The night also demonstrated the immediate impact that passionate coaches and volunteers can have on DC SCORES students. Rich Myers of KIPP KEY received the Rookie of the Year Award for his work leading the soccer program at the school that began programming this fall. About a month ago, I had the chance to watch a KIPP game. The boys team was getting beat soundly by their opponent, but what impressed me was that the kids didn't let the score affect in any way their joy in playing soccer with each other.

The event was held at the beautiful
LongView Gallery.

That's a rare sight in this win-win-win society, and all the credit goes to Myers for building a program with the right priorities.

Another first-year difference-maker is Justin Feltman, who received the Chris Richardson Community Service Award. Feltman found DC SCORES through a google search this past fall, and has already become one of our most dedicated volunteers — refereeing elementary school games throughout the city and helping at any big event he can.

From our veteran coaching teams to our rookies, the SCORE Awards shone the light on the very best of our 190 coaches and hundreds of volunteers who make DC SCORES' mission a reality every day after school in all corners of the District.

Thank you to LongView Gallery, our sponsors Volkswagen Group of America and CIT Group, event planner EVOKE and everyone who attended Tuesday's event for helping us celebrate such amazing leaders.

National Poetry SLAM! diary: A weekend of memory making in NYC

In early April, Elementary School Program Coordinator Rachel Klepper accompanied DC SCORES students Skky M. of Imagine Hope Community Charter School and Xavier C. of Arts and Technology Academy to New York City for the 8th Annual America SCORES National Poetry SLAM!. But the trip was more than just the event. Rachel spent three days with Skky, Xavier, and students from 12 other cities during a a special weekend the kids will never forget.

Watch the SLAM! here, look at photos here, and see Xavier's appearance on MSNBC here.

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Written by Rachel Klepper 
Elementary School Program Coordinator

On Saturday morning, I met Skky, Xavier and their families at Union Station to take the train to New York City. Everyone was excited, and a little nervous as well -- it was the start of a big trip!

As we navigated our many suitcases through the crowded station, we ran into a surprise guest. Jerome Clemons, who is Skky’s coach at Imagine Hope Tolson Community Charter School, came to see us off! And he brought special presents for Skky and Xavier. They got each got a DC flag and pin so that they could share their DC pride with their new friends and keep a reminder of home while exploring a new city.

We quickly boarded the train and began our journey to New York. On the way, Skky and Xavier got to know each other, talked about their schools and their DC SCORES teams, and played card games. It was both of their first train rides, and they loved it!

When we got to New York, we found our hotel, which was on a busy street right next to Penn Station. We had a couple hours to settle in before dinner. Just looking out of our window on the 25th floor, we could see a sea of yellow taxis, pedestrians, and tall skyscrapers -- we were amazed! Skky and Xavier were surprised by how different New York looked compared to DC, but they couldn’t wait to explore.

At dinner, Skky and Xavier got to meet the 24 other poet-athletes who would be joining them at the National SLAM! and would become their new friends. After we ate, the chaperones all met while the kids went off to get right to work on their poems. As I sat in the chaperone room listening to the plan for the weekend, I could hear the kids chanting and singing, already having so much fun.

After practice, we went up to our rooms. Skky and I stayed with one other chaperone and girls from Milwaukee and St. Louis, and Xavier stayed with two chaperones and three other boys. By bedtime, everyone was so much more relaxed and felt settled in to our hotel. After the first long day, the nerves had disappeared and they were excited to spend time with their friends and for all the adventures to come!

Sunday
The first priority Sunday was practice. Not only did each poet need to practice their individual poem, perfecting their memorization, annunciation, emotion, and movement, but everyone also needed to learn the group poem. The poets learned that the show would open with all 26 of them on stage, reciting a poem together, with each one having a special line about themselves and their city.

Watching the group poem practice was one of my favorite parts of the weekend. In a matter of days, they went from being 26 kids from states all across the country, to a team that could speak and move in perfect synchronization.

After some time to practice the individual poems in small groups, we ate lunch and then headed out on our first New York City adventure to the Statue of Liberty. By this time, Skky and Xavier had made friends with the other poet-athletes, so they raced on the bus to sit with their friends and pleaded to spend our time on Liberty Island with another group of kids. Of course, the answer was yes! We took a boat to the island and then got to climb the stairs to the pedestal of the statue, where we could look out and see beautiful views of the city.

We returned to the hotel just in time to change into our fancy clothes and head out to dinner at the Marriott in Times Square. Although the walk with 26 children through a packed Times Square at night meant lots of work for the chaperones, it was worth it to see the poet-athletes' wide eyes as they looked around at the blinking billboards and enormous stores. They certainly felt elegant and important as they rode the glass elevator up to the restaurant at the Marriott!

After dinner we returned to our hotel rooms for our pajama parties. In this National SLAM! tradition, each room gets to practice their poems in a fun and relaxed environment, while snacking on popcorn and other treats. In our room the girls practiced while dancing around the room and wearing some of their new souvenirs from NYC!

Soon it was bedtime, and although the girls wanted to stay up chatting all night, we knew that Monday would be a big day and everyone needed their rest.

Monday
Monday morning started off with breakfast in our hotel rooms, and then some more practicing of the group poem. After an hour of rehearsal we got on the bus for one of the most anticipated parts of the weekend: soccer in Central Park! Despite the light rain, our poet-athletes were happy to run around the park and play a fun soccer game. It was a great way to distract everyone from their nervousness about the performance.

From Central Park we took the bus right to the New York Stock Exchange, where the Poetry Slam would take place. It was finally almost time! First, though, the group got to practice on stage. Everyone recited their poems until they felt comfortable with the words and the microphone. At this point, everyone was pretty calm, though they were starting to realize that their big moment was getting closer.

Then the time came for the poet-athletes to head downstairs for dinner. They were all distracted by the delicious buffet, and by a surprise visit from soccer star and America SCORES spokesperson Briana Scurry. But little did they know that while they ate and laughed with their friends, hundreds of guests were arriving for the SLAM!. Soon it was time, and the poet athletes donned their matching shirts and neon sunglasses. They walked upstairs and down the center of the audience to take their places backstage.

That was the moment that the atmosphere changed. All around me, the poet athletes were realizing that in a few short minutes they would be up on stage in front of all these people. I could sense the anxiety, but I also could tell how ready they were. I knew that every single one of them was going to be amazing! I felt so happy to be able to be there with them and, along with the other chaperones, give them encouragement as they walked onto the stage to begin the event.

All 26 poet-athletes gave phenomenal performances. Their words captivated the audience, who reacted with smiles, laughs, or tears during the different poems. Each poem gave insight into a child’s life -- including their experience at school, their family, their imagination, or their dreams for the future. Their poems were deep, emotional, funny and inspiring.

After Xavier capped off the performances with his powerful school closing poem, all the students were treated like celebrities as they signed autographs for the guests. They also used their sharpies to sign each other’s shirts, leaving them with a memento of the SLAM! and of their new friends.

By that time, it was late and the poet-athletes were exhausted. However, the night was not over for Xavier. He had been asked to accompany America SCORES director Holly O’Donnell to New York's NBC studios to perform his poem and be interviewed on the Lawrence O'Donnell show.

Despite Xavier's exhaustion, his family and I traveled to the studio and waited until it was time for him to go on camera. Xavier was so poised and articulate on TV. He talked about his trip and his experience in DC SCORES, and performed his poem again. Then, finally, it was time to go back to the hotel for one last night with his roommates.

In the morning, we met to say goodbye to the whole group before getting on the train back home. The weekend was full of so many new and exciting experiences, and I think it is one that Skky and Xavier will never forget! They left feeling very proud of themselves, and ready to tell everyone at home about their trip to New York.

Nothing but inspiration at America SCORES National Poetry SLAM!

Written by Jake Lloyd
Communications Manager

"I'm in awe."

Those words were spoken by Briana Scurry, someone who isn't easily impressed. After all, the legendary U.S. Women's National Team goalkeeper won two Olympic gold medals and the 1999 World Cup during an incredibly decorated soccer career.

So when Scurry — the newly anointed spokesperson for America SCORES — took to the stage about midway through the 8th Annual America SCORES National Poetry SLAM! at the New York Stock Exchange Monday night, she meant those three words — and she was far from alone.

We were all inspired.

During an action-packed hour, 26 poets representing 13 America SCORES cities far and wide took the stage and wowed the audience with an exhibition of self-expression like I've never seen before — and that's saying something, considering I've been at five DC SCORES Poetry Slam! events.

As many of the hundreds of guests remarked afterward, from the opening group poem — put together during just two days of practicing! — to Xavier C.'s culminating and incredibly powerful school closing poem, there was no drop-off between performances. But they were also incredibly varied, keeping audience members on the edge of their seats throughout the night. Some poems were in Spanish; others were pure comedy; more than anything, we got to know the amazing students through their self-expression.

Awe. We were all in awe.

And all convinced of the impact these students — just a handful of the 8,000 impacted each year through America SCORES — will make on the world.

Once the event had concluded and the students received a long standing ovation from the likes of Scurry, former soccer star and current broadcaster Shep Messing, members of the New York Red Bulls, and hundreds of others, guests wouldn't let the evening's stars leave just yet.

We all wanted their autographs. The 26 elementary and middle school youth walked around in their America SCORES T-shirts — with their cities on the back — signing guest's programs and having us ink words of congratulations on their red shirts. It was the perfect capper to an incredible night of inspiration.

Except, for one student, it wasn't over...

Xavier — showing no signs of fatigue from a LONG day — headed to New York's NBC studios with America SCORES Executive Director Holly O'Donnell for an appearance on MSNBC's "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell." The national show's first guest in 2010 was Joe Biden. On Monday night, Xavier owned the spotlight (VIDEO).

The 10-year-old could have been forgiven for appearing a bit tired on late-night TV, but Xavier was far from that. Rather, he was a natural in front of the camera, demonstrating the same poise he had two hours earlier in delivering his poem for the national TV audience and answering all of O'Donnell's questions without hesitation.

When the segment ended, Xavier — looking like a seasoned TV guest — told O'Donnell, "Thank you for having me."

After Monday's grand show, I had the same feeling for the poet-athletes who put on the greatest exhibition of self-expression I've ever witnessed.

If you weren't at the NYSE and missed the live streaming of the SLAM!, you can still watch it on the embedded player and HERE (beginning at the 22:00 mark).

America SCORES National Poetry SLAM! profile: Xavier C., Arts and Technology Academy

Written by Kara Dunford
Communications Intern

On April 7, New York City will shine bright as almost 30 student poets from across the country come together for the 8th Annual America SCORES National Poetry SLAM!.

Xavier, a fifth grade DC SCORES student from Arts and Technology Academy, can’t wait to perform alongside his peers from other America SCORES affiliates.

Xavier found his poetic inspiration from his father, who is a poet himself.

“Every time when I came to one of my dad’s performances, it looked like it was a lot of fun,” he said. “I remembered some of his poems and I wanted to try it out.”

Poetry has allowed Xavier to express himself on an issue unfolding in his life right now: the decision to close his school.

“Our school is literally closing right now. I was super mad about it and I put those feelings down on paper and into a poem,” he said.

The result? A poem that garnered enthusiastic rounds of applause at the DC SCORES Poetry Slam! in December.

Xavier will perform his poem at the New York Stock Exchange, an accomplishment ATA coach Rodney Curry said is important not only for Xavier but for the team as well.

“His teammates see him being given the opportunity to perform in New York,” Curry said. “I think that will inspire them to achieve certain things and work hard toward goals that they may have.”

When Xavier performs, he engages the audience with a spirited display of emotion, as I observed while I sat in on one of his recent practice sessions.

Xavier said he doesn’t have a specific topic he always likes to write about.

“I don’t have a favorite thing. It’s just whatever comes to my gut,” he said.

This will be Xavier’s first trip to New York, at least that he can remember. In addition to meeting the other students, Xavier has another thing he is excited about.

“I’m just super excited to go,” he said. “I get to meet new people, meet new coaches. Maybe even meet famous people.”

Check out the embedded video (also HERE) to hear more from Xavier and take a sneak peek into his practice for the National Poetry SLAM!. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #SCORESslam14 for updates from New York.

Lessons from soccer field, power of service-learning on display during second night of 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!

Drew prepares for its performance.

When someone is introduced to DC SCORES and learns that the program combines soccer, poetry and service-learning, the usual -- and natural -- reaction is what? How in the world can that work?

The three prongs of our program model seem so far apart, such different disciplines. Why would a kid who plays soccer want to write poetry?

On Thursday night at the Eastside version of the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!, a near-capacity audience of over 500 people at H.D. Woodson Senior High School witnessed just how intertwined soccer, poetry and service-learning are through 19 original poetry and spoken word performances.

The second night of the fall season's culminating event was emceed by spoken word artist and teacher Clint Smith along with DC SCORES staff member Charity Blackwell, with DJ RBI dropping beats and the background music to performances all night.

Earlier during the season, the soccer team at Drew Elementary School -- just blocks from Woodson -- received a generous donation of soccer cleats from Sarah Bair, a high school student who started the nonprofit Cleats for Peace to give soccer shoes to students lacking them.

On stage in their orange soccer uniforms Thursday, Drew captivated the audience with a poem about their new shoes. In unison, the students sang, "Cleats on my feet! That's all I need! Cleats on my feet! That's all I need!"

That lined capped off a rhythmic clapping, stomping, rhyming and singing performance that at the end of the night won Drew the Golden Mic Trophy in the school's first ever Poetry Slam!.

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Immanuel W. holds up his trophy for the Shine Award.

Drew wasn't the only debut school that showed no fear under the bright lights. KIPP AIM won the middle school championship with a powerful performance about education and self-empowerment, highlighted by Immanuel W.'s four-verse rap that won him the Shine Award for best middle school individual performance and could be on the radio soon (no joke).

KIPP AIM''s time on stage, though, began with an introduction. A girl, Raven H., in her orange soccer uniform took the microphone and told the audience how her soccer team had come from not knowing how to properly do a throw-in at the beginning of the season to making the Capital Cup Championship game.

And even though they lost, she said, the students were proud of what they had accomplished. That translated perfectly into an incredibly confident and inspiring Poetry Slam! debut performance highlighted by Immanuel's rap set to the song "The Show Goes On" by Lupe Fiasco.

Each middle school is tasked with choreographing a performance to go with a song, and Immanuel's lyrics flowed flawlessly as he dropped the chorus: "All right, all ready, we're climbing on/up the mountain/we worked so hard..."

Imagine Hope's students demonstrate community service.

Perhaps no team better demonstrated all they have learned on the soccer field and in the classroom this fall than Imagine Hope Community Charter School, which was also making its first Poetry Slam! appearance. Using the theme of "Harambe," which a student introduced to the audience as meaning "Pull Together" in Swahili, the Soaring Eagles demonstrated with actions and words all the ways they've come together during their first DC SCORES season.

"We pull together to show sportsmanship," two boys said, helping up a fallen teammate. "We're not supposed to litter, we're supposed to recycle," another boy said as he picked up fallen paper. "We pull together to help the poor," another student said as he and a teammate gave money to and helped a boy up from the ground.

Imagine Hope's third-place performance was capped off by Skky M., whose poem "I am the Hungry Child" not only inspired the audience, but won her the Shine Award for best individual performance.

"School, food, water are all things you take for granted," Skky emphasized. "I don't want or need a game, ipod, ipad or a car/Give me a book so I can learn and read and maybe ONE day/I can get an education!"

Imagine Hope hasn't had a DC SCORES service-learning season yet, but is there any doubt this spring that they'll make an indelible impact on their community (or around the world?).

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Second-place finisher Arts and Technology Academy.

On the subject of education, no team delivered a more powerful performance than Arts and Technology Academy. ATA is no stranger to inspiring and heartfelt Poetry Slam! deliveries -- winning four consecutive Golden Mic trophies from 2008-11 -- and Thursday was no different.

With the increasing emphasis on test scores, school reform and other mitigating factors, schools in Washington, DC, are rarely completely immune to the possibility of being shuttered. Just last June, four DC SCORES schools were included on a list of 15 that were closed.

The ATA students, dressed well in their burgundy school uniforms, addressed school closures head on -- highlighted by a boy's solo performance that had the entire audience's attention. Microphone in hand, the boy came off the stage and walked directly in front of the judges, where he expounded on the worth of his fellow students.

"We know our math and reading scores may not be the best," he said. "But we have potential because our worth is more than just data and tests!"

That much was obvious to the 500-plus people who witnessed ATA's perfectly delivered second-place performance.

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The beauty of poetry and self-expression is that when you're treated to several performance under one roof, there is great diversity in the content. While ATA focused on schools and Hart Middle School performed an anti-violence song ("Violence is a waste of time/At Hart that's something you will NEVER find"), other schools had fun with creative and comical performances.

Emcee Clint Smith.

Third-place elementary school finisher Perry Street Preparatory Public Charter School had the audience howling with laughter during its "Soccer is a Dog" poem, which featured the students in their Santa hats imitating the sounds of big dogs, lonely dogs and confused dogs -- the funniest sound.

Garfield Elementary School did a poem all about running, with each student imitating a different animal's or person's gait. Burrville Elementary School did a serious yet also amusing poem about the government shutdown, dropping lines like, "The shutdown was so bad, it made some people go mad!" and followed that poem with "Tale of two David's," as two boys performed a fun back-and-forth about the merits of their David.

It was a poignant, powerful, comedic and entertaining night of self-expression at H.D. Woodson -- a Poetry Slam! Executive Director Amy Nakamoto called the best she's witnessed in seven years. And no event could have better exemplified just how connected the three aspects of DC SCORES' program are.

Now if only Drew's students could have worn their cleats on stage!

Below is a full list of winners from the second night of the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam.

Elementary Schools
1st place -- Drew Elementary School
2nd place -- Arts and Technology Academy
3rd place -- Imagine Hope Community Charter School, Tolson Campus
Spirit Award -- Perry Street Preparatory Public Charter School
Shine Award -- Skky M., Imagine Hope

Middle Schools
1st place -- KIPP DC: AIM Academy
2nd place -- Kelly Miller Middle School
3rd place -- Jefferson Middle School
Spirit Award -- Cesar Chavez Public Charter School, Parkside
Shine Award -- Immanuel W., KIPP AIM

See photos from the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam! on our Flickr page.

And students from Drew have a final message for you...

Program participants strongly express admiration for Civil Rights leaders through poetry

As Washington, DC, prepares for celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, I started thinking about the youth DC SCORES serves -- of our 1,450 program participants, 66 percent are African American -- and their perspectives on civil rights history.

Obviously, the 8- 9- and 14-year-old students in our program -- and even alumni -- are growing up in a vastly different world from the one African-Americans navigated in the 1960s and before. But in browsing our YouTube channel and in looking at past press clips, I found quite a few powerful performances by DC SCORES students about civil rights.

The students clearly know their history, understand their place in it, and also are aware that there's still plenty of progress to be made today.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., here's a standout Poetry Slam! performance from Arts and Technology Academy two years ago.

Poetry Slam! 2012 video of the week: Arts and Technology Academy

NOTE: Each week, we are featuring a school's performance from the 15th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!, the largest youth slam in the District! During the two-night culminating event of the fall season -- held Nov. 28 at Columbia Heights Education Campus and Nov. 29 at H.D. Woodson High School -- 35 schools had the opportunity to perform original group and solo poems and songs in front of their peers, families and community members. At the end of each night, teams were called back up on stage to receive trophies.

We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the self-expression DC SCORES instills in youth. 

On the second night of the Slam!, four-time defending champion Arts and Technology Academy walked into H.D. Woodson High School at 4:21 p.m. -- 99 minutes before the show -- united and confident. While ATA didn't walk away with a fifth straight Golden Mic trophy later that night, they put on yet another memorable show.

ATA's neatly choreographed performance condemned bullying in schools, using such lines as:

"Bully, find yourself something positive to do/how you would you feel if someone were bullying you?"

And...

"When you're bully-free, there's no limit to what you can be."

The ATA poets ended the performance by pairing up and clasping hands as they walked off the stage. They received a deserved standing ovation from the capacity audience. 

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

Playworks’ Topher Anuzis takes lessons learned from DC SCORES practices to recess at Arts and Technology Academy

Written by Cory Chimka
Program Director

Some of my favorite encounters when I'm out at our schools every afternoon are the organic partnerships I find developing between DC SCORES and the handful of other great nonprofits we encounter serving DC's youth (such as 826DC).  During a recent Thursday elementary school soccer game day visit at the Arts and Technology Academy at 54th and Blaine streets, NE, I met Topher Anuzis, better known as Coach LV to the ATA community.

Topher was placed at ATA as a full-time Recess Coach by Playworks. During the school day, he is tasked with bringing structure to the potentially chaotic recess time for ATA's 650 students. Topher strives to make recess at ATA organized, safe and inclusive. Doesn't every student deserve to be included in, feel safe, and have fun during recess?

When Coach LV began working at ATA, he was pleasantly surprised by the robust offerings available to ATA's students after school. As a former soccer player, Topher was most impressed with and intrigued by the DC SCORES program. He made arrangements to begin shadowing veteran and several-time DC SCORES Eastside Champion coaches Rodney Curry & Robert Lancaster.  

Using what he learns shadowing Curry and Lancaster during DC SCORES soccer practices, Topher works to create a similar experience for the entire ATA student body during recess! He says by replicating activities he observes during DC SCORES soccer practices, he can not only reinforce soccer skills for the DC SCORES team, but also use DC SCORES participants as teachers and leaders in teaching soccer and listening skills to students who spend their afternoons in tutoring or drama club. Coach LV has also begun using all the best practices he experiences leading and coaching recess in implementing one soccer training session a week with the DC SCORES team.

Like all great front line youth development workers, Topher values the whole-child approach that both DC SCORES and Playworks are committed to. During DC SCORES writing sessions, he tutors students who need extra help in writing. He enjoys giving individual attention to new DC SCORES participants who might not be as practiced as veterans in the DC SCORES writing classroom.

Topher loves "working with an organization dedicated to play, and seeing another organization devoting time to something that might otherwise not be exposed to our students, and encouraging expending students' energy in a positive way."

Student profile and performance: Kennijah D., Arts and Technology Academy

NOTE: Each week, we are featuring a DC SCORES student who was one of six special performers at the Inspired Art Gala, held May 19 at the Carnegie Institution of Washington!. The students represent schools throughout the District and demonstrate how hard work in DC SCORES' writing workshops can result in a stunning finished product. 

This week we highlight Kennijah D. of Arts and Technology Academy.

When Kennjiah, decked out in a slick suit and top hat, took the stage as the final act of the Gala, he looked anything but a third-grader. He looked cool. He looked calm. He looked poised to put on a stirring performance.

Maybe that's because he had performed his same hit poem -- "Stand Up For This King!," an ode to Martin Luther King Jr. -- in front of twice as many people at the DC SCORES Poetry Slam! six months earlier. His delivery, then, had helped ATA win a fourth consecutive Golden Mic trophy for the best elementary school performance. 

Kennijah might be young, but he already has big goals that you can see developing through his poetry. He wants to continue to write for years to come, especially biographies. After the ovation he received at the Gala, he might want to consider performance poetry as a career, too!

Check out Kennijah's performance and look for him on the soccer field, representing ATA, this fall!

See more DC SCORES videos, including summer campers performing a Bachata dance, on our YouTube page.

Highlighting our youth poets: Arts and Technology Academy

NOTE: Each week beginning today, 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.

We'll start with Arts and Technology Academy, which put on a poignant tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. just months after the MLK memorial was opened to the public in the District. It wasn't the only ode to the transcendent leader during the two-night event, but the performance earned ATA its fourth consecutive Golden Mic trophy for winning the elementary school division of the second night of the Slam!.

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

Highlighting our Inspired Art Gala student performers: Dallas O., Arts and Technology Academy

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.

For the night's closing act, DC SCORES star and National Poetry SLAM! participant Dallas Otigba roused the audience and received a standing ovation for her hit poem "I Have the Potential."

Don't miss Dallas' poem, and start getting excited as the 14th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam! is just two months away!

See more DC SCORES videos, including a preview of the fall season, on our YouTube page.