13 stories that defined DC SCORES in 2013

It's not too often we take a look back.

We can't afford to. With thousands of students in Washington, DC, still lacking a team to be on (help provide a team by Dec. 31!), the focus is always on doing more — providing more youth at more schools with our high-quality Arts/Athletics/Academics program.

In 2014, we will also ramp up our focus on offering more opportunities for high school youth who have graduated from our formal program to stay engaged.

There's A LOT to look forward to.

But before we close the book on 2013, here's a look (with links) at our hand-picked Top 13 Stories of the year. This was no easy list to create, so please chime in with comments on the stories you think should have been included! And you can always find a list of organizational accomplishments here.

Stories are in chronological order:

13. Poetry flows from supporters close and far during National Poetry Month
For the first time, DC SCORES celebrated National Poetry Month in style — asking staff members, board members, and supporters far and wide to exercise their creative genes and write a poem for us. The results were tremendous. We got a haiku from Chancellor Kaya Henderson; a poem from Councilmember David Grosso; spoken word examples from other youth advocate leaders in DC; and more. The month demonstrated, as we know from watching youth during the fall season, that anyone can create a beautiful piece of poetry when given the freedom to write whatever is on their mind.

12. Kastenny, staff member Anna, and
Christian in New York City!

12. Pair of poet all-stars perform at America SCORES National Poetry SLAM! 
The first week of April, two DC SCORES poets took a very special trip — a train ride to New York City, the Big Apple! Christian Brown of Tubman Elementary School and Kastenny Contreras of Marie Reed Elementary School represented DC at the 7th Annual America SCORES National Poetry SLAM! at the New York Stock Exchange. They were chosen after outstanding performance at our Slam! the previous fall. The students not only spent a weekend exploring New York, but befriended students from America SCORES' 13 affiliate programs and performed brilliantly and courageously under the bright lights. "I love poetry because of the feeling when you speak," Kastenny said.

11. DC SCORES students promote healthy lifestyles during Global Youth Service Day
On a Saturday morning in late April, Columbia Heights was full of energy as a large group of DC SCORES students, staff members, volunteers, and partners from the Sodexo Foundation paraded around the neighborhood delivering a strong message: "NO KID HUNGRY, NO KID HUNGRY." The march was the capper of a morning that focused on promoting healthy lifestyles, with the youth delivering the message and feeling empowered. Through a combination of dancing, fitness tests, and the march, those who came to Global Youth Service Day left feeling inspired to spread the word about being fit and feeling healthy.

10. Kelly Miller students teaching seniors about new
technology as their service-learning project!

10. Students make large impact on communities through service-learning
Each spring, every DC SCORES team dedicates itself to bettering its school or greater community through a service-learning project. The students take the bonds formed during the fall soccer and poetry season and — guided by a detailed curriculum — brainstorm and then implement a project. In the spring of 2013, there was more change throughout the District than ever before. Kelly Miller Middle School students taught seniors how to use modern technology such as smartphones and tablets; Bancroft Elementary School students organized a race in their neighborhood to raise over $1,000 for a local animal shelter; and there were dozens of other incredible projects. What a spring of service!

9. The largest Jamboree! — or any DC SCORES event — ever
Three hours before the beginning of the 18th Annual DC SCORES Jamboree!, staff members and volunteers were setting up soccer goals in the dark at Anacostia Park. That was the preparation time necessary to set up 14 soccer fields that would be home to 128 soccer games during the course of six hours. More than 1,500 people attended the event, which also featured soccer skills stations, relay races, facepainting, a service-learning project competition, and the City Cup championship for elementary schools. The largest event in our program history wouldn't have been possible without the dozens of volunteers and partner organizations who helped it run smoothly throughout the crazy day!

8. Do More 24 (or 48!) — an incredible show of support
On June 6, we asked supporters to give to DC SCORES during Do More 24 — a fundraising drive organized by the United Way. We were participating in the event for the first time, so we were unsure what to expect. The response we received was overwhelming and reaffirmed for us how many people believe in the DC SCORES mission. Nearly 150 people donated during the drive, and more than half of them were first-time donors. Their combined effort provided more than 350 soccer uniforms for DC youth, an incredible performance by our team of supporters. Thank you!!

7. Tournament-record 30 teams participate in DC SCORES Cup
On June 15, more than 500 professionals from the greater DC area converged on the Maryland SoccerPlex for an action-packed day of soccer, camaraderie, and fun for a great cause — the 11th DC SCORES Cup. The DC area's largest corporate soccer tournament grew from 26 to 30 teams and raised an event record $100,000 for our program. While District Sports came away at the end of the day with the large tournament trophy — which they will keep until June 14, 2014 — everyone had a great time on a beautiful day in Gaithersburg, Md. Look for the tournament to continue to grow this year!

6. Just another action-packed day at summer camp!

6. Four summer camps provide enrichment for 250 DC youth 
For a combined 14 weeks during the summer, students in Washington, DC, stayed engaged athletically and artistically through DC SCORES summer camps that were free to participants and open to any students — not just those in the fall and spring program. At four sites, students learned soccer skills, built friendships with kids from other schools from throughout the city, and kept their minds active through artistic activities and a variety of field trips. The camps also kept former DC SCORES participants engaged, as several high school students worked as counselors and served as role models for the younger students. With summer learning loss a critical issue for low-income youth, the camps were vital in keeping participants physically fit and thinking critically until school started again.

5. DC SCORES featured on the front page of The Washington Post
On August 1, DC SCORES was prominently featured on the front page of The Washington Post's Metro section — with a long article and a handful of photos from summer camp. The article shed light on an issue that we think about every day and are tackling head-on with our focus on older youth — the lack of athletic opportunities for girls in the District. The article noted that only four of 15 public high schools in DC have consistent girls soccer teams. "That's insane," Executive Director Amy Nakamoto was quoted. The article was a tremendous marketing piece for us, as emails and phone calls flooded in from people who had previously not heard of the program but now wanted to get involved.

4. DC SCORES chosen for inclusion in Catalogue for Philanthropy
In May, DC SCORES received a great honor when we were chosen for inclusion in the annual Catalogue for Philanthropy as "one of the best small charities in the Greater Washington region." It was the third time we were hand-picked for the catalogue, which since forming in 2003 has helped raise more than $21 million for DC nonprofits. The catalogue, which was released in early November, not only features DC SCORES among 74 organizations highlighted but also has a full-page photo of our program.

3. U-16 DC SCORES team thrives during first season
The idea was born during a summer tournament and evolved into a team that fortified during its first season. DC SCORES coaches Popsie Lewis and Simon Landau created a U-16 soccer team for former and current program participants from seven different schools in the District. For some of the kids, it was a chance to keep playing organized soccer during high school. For the younger kids, it was the opportunity to play against older, tougher competition and get better from it. During the season's last game, the team put together an inspired comeback victory. Since then, they've practiced several times and can't wait for another season together.

2. A Poetry Slam! for the ages
We don't beat around the bush when asked what the best event of the DC SCORES year is. It's the Poetry Slam!, and it never lets spectators down. This year was no different, as there were a record 41 performances during the two-night event, the 16th Annual Slam!. The 5-minute performances by each school highlight all aspects of our program, cover the spectrum of emotions from sad to serious to funny, and highlight the confidence students gain to express their innermost feelings during our three-month fall season. Executive Director Amy Nakamoto called the second night of the Poetry Slam! — the Eastside event — the best she's seen during seven years with the organization. Watch the performances and judge for yourself on the DC SCORES YouTube page.

1. The DC SCORES team grows
It wouldn't be feasible for our program to continue growing while maintaining high-level — and award-winning — programming if not for our incredibly dedicated staff, board of directors and, of course, coaches. And to expand to serve even more students (1,500 at 47 schools), we strengthened our capacity. Our staff reached 18 full- and part-time employees, including three new positions. We added seven new members to our Board of Directors. And we employed 190 soccer and writing coaches at our schools — the people who make our soccer, poetry and service-learning model work every day!

To everyone who contributed to DC SCORES during 2013 ... and it would take a book to list you all ... THANK YOU for an incredible and inspiring year.

Here's to an even more spectacular 2014!

Nonprofit Roundtable Karel Fellow reflects on summer of learning with DC SCORES youth

This summer, Roland Walker is working for DC SCORES through the Nonprofit Roundtable's Karel Fellowship program. Roland is a rising senior at the University of Florida majoring in Public Relations. He wrote the blog below for the Roundtable summing up his nine-week experience at DC SCORES.

Written by Roland Walker
DC SCORES Intern

These young children had the choice to be inactive the whole summer.

These young children’s minds could have become stagnant.

Instead, these kids and their parents wanted better. For the six weeks summer camp lasted, I witnessed elementary and middle school participants come to camp to play soccer, write poetry and go on field trips.

But the atmosphere incorporated more than sports and art. All of the activities fell under an umbrella called positive community.

Everyday life gives us choices. The choices kids make while they are young are more crucial than they know.

A child who spends his time reading and playing sports is destined for a brighter future than a child who spends three hours watching television and four hours hanging on the corner.

Youth is the time to explore in detail what the world has to offer beyond four walls and four corners.

A handful of positive opportunities expands into a vast amount of possibilities – but what if individuals and organizations didn’t come together to provide these possibilities?

DC SCORES is an organization that does.

I asked a handful of kids what they would be doing if they were not coming to camp. All of the kids said the same things — sitting at home watching television or doing nothing at all.

These kids don’t come from wealthy backgrounds. The option to vacation out of the state is a fantasy. The option to pay to play travel sports is unrealistic. The option to go to theme parks will take food away from the table.

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Reintroducing DC SCORES — an atmosphere of fun and learning.

Over the summer, the kids went to the National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space museum, Newseum, United States Botanical Gardens, the pool, and a few other places.

What do you remember about your childhood?

People remember the good and the bad moments. Individuals rarely focus on the moments in between the two extremes. Memories are built on events that provoke excitement, terror and other emotions.

You remember the instruments you played, the places you traveled, the highly influential people you met, the love you shared with another, the funerals of close relatives you attended and the birth of your first child.

Now why is this important? As we grow older and start to think about what we want to be in life, we look back and ask ourselves, “What do I excel in?” “What is it that I enjoy doing?” “What sparked a powerful emotion that made me want to act?” “What has my life molded me to be?”

Without after-school and summer programs like DC SCORES, many kids around the United States would not have anything proactive and positive to look back on.

The mission is to introduce our youth to the most that we can.

Think about it: what if Michael Jordan was not exposed to the sport of basketball? What if President Obama never went to college? What if Steve Jobs never had access to a computer? What if Oprah never did radio?

The exposures to his or her true calling were the most pivotal series of events in his or her life. Without being at the right place at the right time, these people would not have the same legacy. That place was not at the house doing nothing.

People, places and programs that open their doors to youth, adolescence, and young men and women are greatly needed now more than ever.

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In the nine weeks that I was a part of the program, I learned how the pieces in the greater community come together to create a successful program.

I sat in at in-office meetings with DC SCORES staff as they discussed new developments, the upcoming year, program expansion and much more.

I learned how to effectively communicate through the use of social media and social outreach. I went to the different schools where DC SCORES held its summer camps, took pictures, conducted interviews and simply surveyed how things were going.

From there I wrote blogs and updated the organization’s Instagram and Twitter accounts. These modes of communication are crucial because they allow people to see what events are going on at the moment, the kids interacting with one another, updates on the organization, and many other things.

In other words, it helps to build the sense of community because he or she is able to be there without physically being there.

Also, it puts a picture with a price tag – meaning that donors can see where their money is going.

The proper use of social media is powerful but nothing is more powerful than experiencing the program firsthand.

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I had the pleasure of taking a trip back down memory lane. Going to camp reminded me of the perfection of having a fun childhood.

What would childhood be without making new friends, playing sports, reading cool books, traveling and enjoying new experiences?

Through communication and public activity, these fortunate kids have a place to learn and play despite not having the financial resources to do so.

In addition, I learned from the two Nonprofit Roundtable learning sessions that public interest communication is a never-ending task. There are so many issues in the world that people do not know about. If individuals do not know about poverty, Tuberculosis, human trafficking, voting rights, education, health care and other issues, it is less likely that he or she will become an activist for the cause.

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As love lives in all of us, we are born with the capacity to give and receive
The picture we paint is what children around the world believe in
Are we painting a scene of helping hands and good will?
Everybody join together and pick up a brush
Simply saying that the world needs change isn’t enough
Let’s apply color to grayed neighborhoods
Reinforce that the residents can achieve the impossible
Why? Because what’s possible is everything
Open doors for each other, if not we are hindering
There is a place for the child of a single mom
Where he or she will be protected and showered in affection
It’s not their fault their father neglected them and went in his own direction
There is a place for the child of immigrant parents
Where he or she will be accepted beyond the stereotypes of their accent
Their parents only want a chance for expansion and a better education
There is a place for a child lost in his or her own community
When the negativity of the streets isn’t a desired destination
We must help the kids who pull for his or her own salvation
Success
It is what you make it
But how do we expect kids to grab greatness if there is no sign that says “take it”
The opportunity has to be present
All of the pieces to the grand puzzle must fit
Advocacy and action are a constant battle
In the public’s interest we cannot quit

— Roland E. Walker IV

Summer learning part IV: Six weeks of enrichment on and off the field

This summer, intern Roland Walker is visiting DC SCORES’ four summer camps and talking to participants and counselors about teamwork -- one of the program’s key values -- and what it means to them. View pictures from the camps on our Flickr page and on Facebook.

Written by Roland Walker
DC SCORES Intern

DC!

SCORES!

DC!

Scores!

During this summer, I seen the different emotions that call and response caused.

At the sound of it, campers would get real loud and then — silence.

Tearing through the silence would be DC SCORES’ staff and camp counselors with a message of what the next activity was.

DC!

SCORES!

DC!

SCORES!

Mostly, all of the campers heard that as a sound to say, “Let’s play soccer!”

“I love playing soccer with all my friends,” Kevin said.

“Playing soccer was my favorite activity over the summer,” Ali explained.

I watched as the kids would attempt to play soccer no matter where they went.

Many drills were executed. Many games were played; boys versus girls and coaches versus campers. Some of these kids have potential of playing soccer at competitive levels but all of the kids have fun playing.

DC!

SCORES!

DC!

SCORES!

For some kids, it triggered instant excitement because it was field trip time. Amongst the camps at Harriet Tubman, Bancroft and Marie Reed, the kids got the opportunity to go to the National Air and Space Museum, the United States Botanical Gardens, the pool and other places in D.C.

“My favorite trip was when we went to the Air and Space Museum,” Emily said.

“I liked seeing all of the different stones and jewelry at the Natural History Museum,” David said.

“I liked going to the pool the most,” both Gloria and Chantelle said.

Many of the kids said going to the pool was their favorite activity. How can you blame them when temperatures reached close to 100 degrees this summer!?

DC!

SCORES!

DC!

SCORES!

For the engaged artists in our camp, this was a call to pull out the paintbrushes and markers. Thanks to our professional art specialists, the kids painted, made piggy banks, designed T-shirts, recorded lyrics and many more activities.

Week after week, the kids helped each other make masterpieces.

Ms. Tara said it best: “Teamwork is dream work.”

Under the guidance of Ana, Tim, Libby, Emily, Zaryn, Shakeria and Carlos, the coaching of Popsie and Carlos, and the leadership of all the counselors and volunteers, we had very successful summer camps.

A special acknowledgement goes out to Wendy, Ana, Sebastian, Joana and Jermaine for their efforts in gaining “leader of the week.”

Despite what the kids were doing, this summer with DC SCORES I have seen the power of teamwork, so how fitting it was that camp ended Friday with a final...

DC!

SCORES!

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

Together we can stand hand and hand and proudly say we are the world
Everyone doing their part promising a brighter day for every young boy and girl
Aiming for opportunities beyond the borders of their communities
Meeting new faces that can join this group we call unity
Working with our eyes on one prize, with one goal in mind
One step at a time, investing in the youth because it’s always their time to shine
Remembering without each cloud joining, we cannot reach our dream
Knowing that we are all strong links is knowing what it is to be a team

-Roland E. Walker IV

Summer learning Part III: Several opportunities to learn as individuals and a team

Campers learn about molecules at Marie Reed camp.

This summer, intern Roland Walker is visiting DC SCORES’ four summer camps and talking to participants and counselors about teamwork -- one of the program’s key values -- and what it means to them. View pictures from the camps on our Flickr page and on Facebook.

Written by Roland Walker
DC SCORES Intern

Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge. — Plato

Knowledge is power.

Although it may sound cliché, that statement stands true.

Last week at Marie Reed camp, Ms. Tara came in to teach the kids about science.

Ms. Tara taught the kids about molecules using marshmallows and gummy candies, which the kids ate with great speed after the lesson was over.

“A water molecule is made with two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom,” Daniella H. said after Ms. Tara asked the molecular make-up of water.

She also used water, cooking oil and food coloring in order to illustrate how some compounds do not mix.

Over the summer, it’s no secret that students can lose up to two months of academic progress from the school year if they don’t keep their minds engaged. We appreciate Ms. Tara and her efforts to get the children to retain some of the information they learned or teach the children something they never knew.

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Kids play in the HEAT at Tubman soccer camp.

The desire to play and the desire to escape are sometimes one in the same.

Everybody periodically gathered around the coolers underneath the tents two weeks ago at Harriet Tubman Middle School for soccer camp.

The two-week camp started Monday, July 15, and the 40 or so kids were fired up.

Water hit the ground, an action that seemed to contradict the hot temperature, as the kids were cooling off their cleats.

The eighth- and ninth-graders took turns on ice and water retrieval in the school.

The temperature heated up near 100 degrees, and all the while the kids’ efforts were at 100 percent.

A rising freshman in high school, Anthony M. explained to me why he loves the sport.

“I started practicing every day and every night when I was 10 after my brother-in-law taught me the history and the basics of the sport,” Anthony said.

Right out of the gate, he was hooked.

“I always carried a ball around,” Anthony said. “It doesn’t matter how the temperature is or how the conditions are.”

Anthony aspires to play Division I college soccer and then amongst the pros.

Playing hard in the heat, all of the kids at Tubman showed pure dedication to the sport.

The desire to improve their skills and have fun motivated the kids to continue to play despite uncomfortable conditions.

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Think of a time that you accomplished something of difficulty; grabbing that leadership position, building the courage to ask that special person out, or graduating from college.

Do you remember how you felt?

People of all ages strive for that feeling.

At Tubman camp, over 50 kids showed up for the special scrimmage against the coaches. Although no team of campers defeated the coaches, they showed good sportsmanship and had lots of fun.

Childhood is the time to explore. Experiences are fresh, there is so much to learn, and you are thinking for the first time, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

“I want to become a doctor,” Alejandra V., participating in her second summer camp, told me.

DC SCORES gives these kids so many opportunities and experiences that more than likely they would not have otherwise. Who knows, maybe a trip to the National Air and Space Museum causes one child to want to build aircrafts later in life.

“When I grow up, I want to be a mathematician,” Ali A. said. “I would like to crunch numbers for engineers companies.”

Learning what it is to be a leader during summer camp may lead one child to strive to be captain of his or her soccer team in high school, or president of his or her class.

The opportunities are endless. Advancement in the lives of these kids stretches beyond what we see, and that is the beauty of teamwork, togetherness and positivity.

Passions found, demonstrated during summer of learning for DC youth

This summer, Roland Walker is working for DC SCORES through the Nonprofit Roundtable's Karel Fellowship program. Roland is a rising senior at the University of Florida majoring in Public Relations. He wrote the blog below for the Roundtable about his experience, to this point, at DC SCORES.

Written by Roland Walker
DC SCORES Intern

I see hope. I see community. I see a future’s promise.

We are working to move to a point where there is no separation between east and west. We are working to create a site of unity where dreams fade the lines of rich and poor. Everybody is together. Everybody is on the same team.

For over 1,450 kids in Washington D.C., DC SCORES is that team.

Perception of a brighter day is more than half of the endeavor. #RollsWisdom

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Meet Christian, a program alum working at one of DC SCORES’ four free soccer and arts camps. At first glance, you may see a quiet kid outcast by his or her peers. I see someone who needs to find the right medium to express himself.

For numerous youth like Christian – who grew up with the program -- DC SCORES is a site of urban paradise. When the soccer balls come out, Christian and many camp participants take on an alter ego. They grow more competitive, more confident and more comfortable.

I sat down and had a one-on-one conversation with Christian, who just recently graduated from high school.

“Soccer is my release,” Christian said. “If I’m stressed, I come out and kick the ball.”

Soccer is a part of what gives Christian his identity.

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Something in the way she moves 
Attracts me like no other lover 
Something in the way she woos me I don’t want to leave her now 
You know I believe and how 
Somewhere in her smile she knows 
That I don’t no other lover 
Something in her style that shows me I don’t want to leave her now 
You know I believe and how 
You’re asking me will my love grow I don’t know, I don’t know 
You stick around now, it may show I don’t know, I don’t know 
Something in the way she knows 
And all I have to do is think of her 
Something in the things she shows me I don’t want to leave her now 
You know I believe and how

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He doesn’t appear to be someone who would get up and sing the lyrics you just read – Something by The Beatles.

Never judge a book by its cover; lesson learned. Marie Reed Elementary School third-grader Chayanne had everybody tuned in when he got up to sing.

I was amazed to see the bravery coming from him, and the other campers in the room were too.

Confidence is crucial in life, and seeing a younger child break fear’s barriers makes me want to encourage them even more.

You may see an energetic child who needs to settle down. I see someone who wants to explore the world and express themselves.

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Have you ever met someone where it seems as if talking gave his or her body the energy to move? Taleah looks at that person every day she looks in a mirror.

I can relate to her. She wants others to pay attention to her and to feel a certain way when she speaks. A volunteer musician named Cody came by camp the second week of July and taught the children the basics of recording music. I watched as Taleah was in and out of participation. Until suddenly, she got up and wanted to record something in front of the microphone. After she left her seat, she didn’t sit back down.

Taleah sung a couple of popular songs and then she nobly recited a poem for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting.

I was shocked and humbled how she had the will to commemorate an event that brought pain to so many lives. I can’t help but see the wonderful things that can come from her being herself. She has a beautiful skill where she can take the struggles and the bliss of life and convert that into imagery through words.

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High energy describes Jamael. His name should be synonymous with the word restless. DC SCORES helps to put that energy in constructive places. Summer camp at Marie Reed provides him with multiple chances to express himself through soccer, poetry, arts and crafts.

I am not exaggerating when I say he is excited for every activity. I feel good to know this kid has a place to be himself.

You may see a band of young people lost in the world. I see a group of leaders and a new generation that can make the world a more positive place.

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“He was one of the kids whose behavior was real bad when he first started seven years ago,” Program Director Cory Chimka said to me on the way to Marie Reed one day.

I gave him a look of disbelief because the kid we were talking about is one of the faces, if not the face, at the teenage level of the program. His name is Nana.

Nana, a rising senior at Wilson High School, has the potential to play soccer at a higher level and is a humble kid at heart. He makes good grades in school and gives back to his community, working as a Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) worker.

Nana says that DC SCORES was extremely important in helping him get to the point where he is. He is a wonderful example of the program’s effectiveness during the after-school hours.

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In Mid-July, I took a trip down memory lane with the kids at the National Museum of Natural History. They showed extreme excitement right off the bus. I was thrilled as well. As we viewed the exhibits, the kids wanted to soak up every bit of knowledge they could.

“What does electromagnetic mean?”

“How did the dinosaurs die out?”

“If I give a girl the hope diamond, will she like me?”

The kids read all they could and touched whatever they could reach.

It wasn’t until after we got out of the museum that I realized the full impact of the program. We had half an hour left and as we were deciding which of the other museums we would go to, Victor (wearing his “Bulls” shirt) announced, “Let’s play soccer. I brought my ball in my backpack.”

I thought to myself, you have the option to play soccer anytime. We are at the National Mall; let’s see all we can see.

Right then and there is when I had a flashback. The way these kids love soccer is the same way I love the sport of basketball. The sport is part of their identity, just as I had learned it is a part of Christian’s identity (standing right). They love to play anywhere, any time.

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What you are looking at is an impact over two generations. Two generations and counting.

DC SCORES is soccer, poetry and service-learning. Because of my experience at summer camp, I’ve learned how to take life’s magical moments and transfer them into visual, verbal and written messages that connect outsiders – those who don’t experience the program -- to the overall mission and connection that these kids feel to soccer, poetry and each other.

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I have visions of a young mother teaching her kids things she never knew 
I see children treating negativity as nothing to do and being positive as nothing new 
Humanitarians and activists work under the alias ”non-profits” but we gain so much 
There’s an abundance of love in our efforts 
May we reach a day where we can look up at sunny skies and feel warm weather 
The time of today calls for us Knowledge is power; we need to become superheroes in communities 
This summer I’m on a mission to find my strengths 
You know saving the world is every hero’s destiny 
Lead by example so when others want to march behind a unit of change… 
I will confidently smile and say follow me - 
-- Roland E. Walker IV

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Read our blogs at: dcscores.blogspot.com

My blogs:

• Summer Learning Part I: Participants learn the power of team 
• Summer Learning Part II: Relationship building through DC SCORES

Former program participants teach life lessons to campers through Summer Youth Employment Program

Full summer camp photo album on Flickr. 

Written by Zaryn Jennings
DC SCORES Communications Intern

Every summer camp is a little different. Activities vary, staff differs, plans can change. But at DC SCORES summer camp at Marie Reed, there are 14 high school students who serve as a staple to the program.

DC SCORES employs Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) workers at each of our camp locations. I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside these students, many of whom are DC SCORES alumni.

The SYEP members are specifically chosen. Emily Schulman, DC SCORES Community Outreach Coordinator, hired each student because they “understand responsibility” and “are willing to step up to the plate to create a fun, safe, exciting atmosphere for these kids.”

Not only do these adolescents understand responsibility, but they also embrace it. Many of the SYEP members have been campers and understand how the program works. They remember what it’s like to look up to the high school counselors. Because of that, they do everything in their power to be good role models for these kids.

Ana, a student at Bell High School and a SYEP member, remembers her experience at DC SCORES.

“I always got excited that we knew what [DC SCORES] was expecting from us,” she said.

Now as a summer counselor, she holds those same expectations for the kids who have come after her.

This isn’t just a summer job for these young adults. It’s a summer of giving back to a program that gave them so much.

In addition to giving back, these high school students are moving forward. Working at a DC SCORES summer camp prepares the students for their future endeavors.

Claudia, a recent graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, told me, “One of my goals is to become a pediatrician some day and this is a great start.”

For many SYEP workers, this summer separates their high school years from their entrance into college. For others, being a DC SCORES counselor is something they plan to add to their college applications in the near future.

I asked a few of the SYEP members to give me their experience with this DC SCORES summer in one word:

Exciting.

Entertaining.

Exhausting.

As a staff member at Marie Reed's six-week soccer and arts camp, I experience those same emotions but in a much different way. The relationship our high school counselors are building with the campers is unlike any relationship I ever could build with the students. They’re from the same neighborhoods. The SYEP members were involved in DC SCORES at schools that some of our campers currently attend. They can share stories of different coaches or teachers that both have experienced.

I can strive for those kinds of relationships with the kids, but at the end of the day, I’m still on the outside. I never experienced DC SCORES as a participant like many of the SYEP members did. The relationships they’re building with these kids are meaningful because they give the campers a glimpse into the people they can become.

All of these kids have a bright future -- the campers and the SYEP members. Schulman is confident they can do anything in the world,

“They’re responsible and capable and shouldn’t forget that … they’re all capable of doing really great things," she said.

For the SYEP members, they're already on their way.