A time to give thanks to DC SCORES' supporters

Students with their Century Council bags.

This afternoon, a group of Cresa Washington DC employees stopped by our office.

With a check.

For $9,500.

The check wasn't something we could have imagined six or even four months ago. It resulted from an unexpected contribution to our organization by a group of people dedicated to helping the over 1,450 District youth we serve.

In September, former board member Chris Finley, who works at Cresa, posed the idea of the real estate company hosting a happy hour fundraiser benefiting DC SCORES. Two and a half months later — after securing two main sponsors in addition to dozens of individual donations — the event was held at James Hoban's Irish Restaurant and Bar. And now a month later, we have the check in hand.

Thank you, Chris. Thank you, Cresa.

That's just one example of the hundreds of contributions — big and small; anticipated and unexpected — that have helped us expand our innovative program during 2012 to serve more schools in more communities than ever before, filling a need that still remains throughout the District.

For our full supporters list, please visit the DC SCORES website. But here are a few more examples of how people have contributed to our organization in different ways:

A group of local government entities help maintain the foundation of our funding model and demonstrate their commitment to us not just in dollars. Serve DC, the DC Commission on National and Community Service, routinely visits our office, comes to our game days, and just last week honored our super volunteer Francesco Amorosino with a Mayor's Community Service Award. Under the exciting new leadership of Ed Davies, the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (CYITC), one of our oldest funders, continues to show their belief in our work by funding not only our regular programming but providing a large grant to fund our annual summer camps.

Receiving a $25,000 check from Volkswagen.

We also receive local funding from New Communities Youth Development & Community Wellness and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers — two funders whose missions strongly align with our desire to provide opportunities for those in the city's most under-resourced neighborhoods. The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities continues to annually fund the self-expression aspect of our program — even upping their contribution this year — including as a central sponsor of the Poetry Slam! (along with the Humanities Council of Washington, DC).

This fall, we've written extensively — and rightfully so — about the U.S. Soccer Foundation's Social Innovation Grant that has allowed us to implement the Foundation's Soccer for Success program at 15 new schools. The Foundation has joined a group of  companies committed to our Arts/Athletics/Academics model who show this not just in dollars provided:

Volkswagen Group of America has adopted our flagship school Marie Reed Elementary, funding the program there every year.

The American Beverage Association made a commitment to Wards 7 and 8 east of the Anacostia River, funding our expansion in the last year and a half to schools there and visiting a game day at Garfield Elementary School.

The Century Council not only increased their funding from $30,000 to $40,000 this year, but they are a dependable presence at all our program events, where they hand out their always-popular sunglasses — I have a pair in my car — and other giveaways.

A poetry reading at Starbucks.

Starbucks, a funder since the 1990s, hosts poetry readings for all DC SCORES schools during the fall, giving students the chance to practice their poems in front of an audience — albeit, a much smaller one — prior to the season-culminating Poetry Slam!.

As cliche as it sounds, it's not all about the money for us. Yes, DC SCORES would not be possible without the funding that makes up our $1.4 million annual budget — almost all of which goes directly toward program expenses (think soccer equipment, buses for game days, writing notebooks, coach stipends, event costs, etc.). But more than searching for cash grabs, we look for and appreciate funders who buy into our mission and commit to a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship.

Sometimes, for a variety of reasons (the economy being the glaring one), we lose a long-time funder. That's what happened a few years ago with the Commonweal Foundation. And that's why it was extremely rewarding to regain the Foundation's support, at $25,000, this fall.

We know that these are uncertain times and there are thousands of worthy, deserving organizations and causes out there. That's why we are so thankful to you, all of our funders and supporters, who choose to support DC SCORES.

Thank you, again, and here's to another great year together!

Infectious enthusiasm the theme across the District at 15 new DC SCORES schools

Written by Anna Cohen-Price
Elementary School Program Coordinator

“Let’s go Seaton, let’s go!! Let’s go Seaton, let’s go!!”

These chants block out everything else, as the DC SCORES kids at Seaton Elementary cheer on their teammates with vigor. Seaton is one of 15 new schools that are a part of the DC SCORES team this year thanks to a Social Innovation Fund grant provided by the U.S. Soccer Foundation.  

During our Coach Kickoff in the beginning of September, we saw tons of new, excited faces ready to jump in and be a part of the team. This excitement is reflected by all the new DC SCORES kids at each soccer practice, writing workshop, and game day.

Since the first day of programming on Sept. 10, the new schools have fit right in with the rest of the program. Many of these schools had been on a DC SCORES waiting list for years, which has led to a brand-new level of excitement for the program. In fact, it almost seems as if these kids and coaches have been participating in DC SCORES forever.

At many of these new schools, during the past month, we're already seeing a huge amount of enthusiasm to learn and try new things. Most students have never had the opportunity to be on a team before, let alone have an outlet for creative and physical expression. Every Thursday or Friday during game days, students get to sport a colorful jersey. These jerseys allow students to represent their schools and be a member of fun and loving communities.

Right before each game day, a DC SCORES staff member gathers the kids from both teams together to talk about sportsmanship and teamwork. Last week, the Seaton and E.L. Haynes kids raised their hands excitedly to explain to the group that these games were about having fun, rather than winning or losing. One student then proceeded to repeat to me what I had told them the week before:

“It may say ‘Seaton’ or ‘E.L. Haynes’ on our backs, but it says DC SCORES on the front – and that’s the team we’re really a part of!”

Some may think this is just talk, but sportsmanship is already playing a huge role in the environment at our new schools. During the last game day at Capital City Public Charter School, a young boy made a huge breakaway and was bounding toward the other team’s goal with no one standing in his way. In the process, someone from the other team was knocked down. Instead of continuing on to score an inevitable goal, he went back to help up the student on the opposing team. This student showed through his actions that respect and care for others is more important than personal gain.

This enthusiasm is also present in the poetry and writing classes. Every student participant receives a journal that they personalize with decorations on the outside, and fill with poetry and writing. In their workshops, they get a chance to write about their lives, experiences and interests, and share them in front of their peers. As a group, they work on individual and group poems or songs that they will perform as a team during our annual Poetry Slam!.

It is clear through site visits, communication with coaches and interactions with students that there is a level of energy and excitement that permeates the program at all of our new schools. The DC SCORES team is incredibly thankful for our ability to expand and provide 650 more DC youth with six times the amount of physical activity they normally receive in school, an outlet for self-expression and a safe and supportive community.

A huge thanks to all the coaches, parents and students who have embraced this growth – and ran with it!

In partnership with U.S. Soccer Foundation, DC SCORES expands to 15 new schools

Written by Amy Nakamoto
Executive Director

Never before in this country has the focus on childhood health, nutrition, and physical activity been more paramount than it is now. Two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are classified as overweight or obese. School meal policy changes are being enacted; urban planning around parks, walkable trails, and farmer's markets are becoming standard; and industry and community stakeholders are tirelessly seeking to change patterns of behavior that have become ingrained in us as a society.

While this notion is supported by numerous research studies, we don't need science to tell us that adopting a physically active lifestyle as a young person increases the likelihood that one will lead a healthy, active adulthood. At DC SCORES, it's fairly straightforward: provide a basic and important element of physical activity — through the game of soccer — to students and school communities who lack the resources to provide this themselves, and make running around, sweating, and having fun while you are doing it the norm.

This year, through a grant from The Social Innovation Fund administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the U.S. Soccer Foundation and DC SCORES will partner to implement the Foundation’s Soccer for Success program three days per week, 24 weeks of the year at 15 new school sites. Because of this partnership, DC SCORES’ physical activity footprint now reaches an unprecedented 42 schools in the District.

We are working with community partners KIPP DC and the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) to implement the program. Soccer for Success utilizes the world's most popular game to teach everyday coaches how to develop basic soccer skills and nutrition knowledge in students from underserved and urban communities. It's a new and exciting curriculum that will impact over 10,000 students nationwide by the end of the 2012-13 program year. This is a thoughtful and timely evolution of our long-standing relationship with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, which helped found DC and America SCORES in 1994 and 1999, respectively. We are thrilled to be their partner and look forward to a banner year with them.

This material is based upon work supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service under Social Innovation Fund Grant No. IISIHDCOOI. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of or a position that is endorsed by, the Corporation or the Social Innovation Fund program.