Safe-Hub Philadelphia Program Report 2020

SAFE-HUB PHILADELPHIA - FALL PROGRAM REPORT 2020

SAFE-HUB PHILADELPHIA PROGRAM REPORT Fall 2020

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SAFE-HUB PHILADELPHIA - FALL PROGRAM REPORT 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

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THE NEED AND THE SAFE-HUB SOLUTION

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FAIRPLAY SOCCER PROGRAM RESULTS

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FAIRPLAY SOCCER PROGRAM OUTCOMES

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PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SAFETY

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CHALLENGING AND ENGAGING LEARNING

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POSITIVE ROLE MODELS

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THE WAY FORWARD

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SAFE-HUB PHILADELPHIA - FALL PROGRAM REPORT 2020

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SAFE-HUB PHILADELPHIA - FALL PROGRAM REPORT 2020

INTRODUCTION Dear Safe-Hub Family, This past year has been exceptionally challenging by all accounts. It has been filled with uncertainty, financial vulnerability, mass social unrest, profound isolation, and the complete disruption of routine and normalcy. Consider that the aptitudes that many of us have leaned on throughout this year—social skills to bridge the divides of lockdowns, the internal motivation to self-direct while learning at a distance, and the emotional awareness to make sense of uncertainty—are all learned and developed throughout our lives.

For so many young people around Philadelphia, the spaces in which to cultivate those skills diminished when the world closed down. For all the difficulty and distress many of us have felt over the last nine months, the challenges have been exponentially greater for the young girls and boys in our city’s most vulnerable communities.

Starting the FairPlay soccer program in the middle of a global pandemic was a decision we did not take lightly. We implemented a rigorous protocol that included front gate health screenings, mask mandates, on- and off-field social distancing policies, and always-accessible hand sanitizer. Over 14 weeks, we did not have a single COVID-19 case.

The health and safety of our participants and their families was our most important outcome. In an effort to create a truly evidence-based and meaningful youth development program, we gathered information from our 8 to 14 yearold participants over the course of the final five weeks. We also listened to their parents and caregivers regarding the observed change in attitudes and behaviors over the entire 14-week program.

As the Project Director of Safe-Hub, USA, I am incredibly proud to share the following FairPlay soccer program outcomes report. During a time when all young people, especially those in vulnerable communities, are facing greater isolation, more uncertainty, and widening gaps in educational equity than ever before, 92% of our participants improved their social and emotional benchmarks in only five weeks.

This would not have been possible without the exceptional support of our partners and champions, including our outstanding volunteer coaches, the CTC Ten Foundation, Lighthouse, the Ertz Family Foundation, UESF Housing Services, Hello Insights, and so many individuals from around the world who believe in a world where all young people access equal opportunities, strive to realize their full potential, and dare to dream.

Thank you,

Liam Connolly Project Director of Safe-Hub, USA AMANDLA Social Enterprises

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SAFE-HUB PHILADELPHIA - FALL PROGRAM REPORT 2020

THE NEED AND THE SAFE-HUB SOLUTION The Safe-Hub model, originally founded in South Africa, has been working to support the lives of at-risk youth and their families across the world since 2010. Assessing both the need and desire for Safe-Hub in communities in North America, the Safe-Hub has found its newest home in North Philadelphia.

In neighborhoods in North Philadelphia, where poverty rates are above the national average and graduation rates are under, children have few opportunities to participate in positive youth programs that support their education and development. The COVID-19 crisis only increased the need for safe, health-focused youth programming. In the COVID-era, where social isolation, cancellation of afterschool programs, and little access to safe physical activity are commonplace for all communities, atrisk families that have limited access to youth development programs in ‘normal’ times are left with even fewer outlets for their children.

Safe-Hub Philadelphia launched its inaugural FairPlay soccer program in Kensington, North Philadelphia, in August 2020. The Safe-Hub and its programs close out-of-school time activity gaps in under-served neighborhoods by providing high-quality soccer programming for children ages 4-14 that combines physical activity with life-skills development in areas like respect, teamwork, self-control, and perseverance. Vetted and trained volunteers worked alongside Safe-Hub staff to create a safe and fun environment for the growth of young people, while providing access to additional resources to bring equitable opportunity to this community in need.

At Safe-Hub, we create safe spaces that combine the power of sport and education to empower youth and change lives. Through our infrastructure, curriculum, and focus on life-long relationship building, we provide a support structure for communities around the world. Welcome to the Safe-Hub family!

MEET OUR PARTICIPANTS Gender

Race/Ethnicity 1.1%

Girls Boys

18.2%

57.6%

84%

Black/African American

8.8%

42.4%

79%

Hispanic/Latino

7.6%

64,1%

64.3%

White Native American Two or more

of FairPlay soccer participants qualify for free or reduced lunch. of FairPlay soccer participants between 8 and 14 were developmentally behind their peers in at least one social and emotional learning capacity.*

*The Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) evaluation system measures outcomes by categorizing each participant as either having an emerging or advanced capacity in different SEL benchmarks such as positive identity or self-management. Participant outcomes are mapped against Hello Insights’ national dataset to identify where participants were ahead of or behind the national average for children of similar backgrounds.

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FAIRPLAY SOCCER PROGRAM RESULTS Over the course of our inaugural 14-week FairPlay soccer program, the Safe-Hub had:

92 FAIRPLAY SOCCER PARTICIPANTS 72 FAIRPLAY SOCCER SESSIONS 108 HOURS OF FAIRPLAY SOCCER 624 CHECK-INS 17.4% 58.5% 81.5%

OF PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 50%+ OF SESSIONS

OF PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 70%+ OF SESSIONS

OF PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 100% OF SESSIONS

OUR FAIRPLAY SOCCER COACHES

16 100% 6

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VOLUNTEER COACHES

OF VOLUNTEER COACHES HAD PREVIOUS PLAYING AND/OR COACHING EXPERIENCE IN SOCCER OR OTHER TEAM SPORTS

SAFE-HUB PHILADELPHIA - FALL PROGRAM REPORT 2020

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FAIRPLAY SOCCER PROGRAM OUTCOMES With support from Hello Insights, a nationwide leader in the monitoring and evaluation of young people’s social and emotional learning, the Safe-Hub tracked participants’ progress in a variety of critical developmental areas over the course of the fall season. Safe-Hub administered the pre-survey on October 3rd and post-survey on November 14th to measure change in social and emotional learning over that period. The social and emotional skills that the survey tracked included self-management, academic self-efficacy, and social skills and connections.

Through the FairPlay soccer program, the Safe-Hub focuses not only on building great athletes, but great people. Building these social and emotional learning skills, relevant to life on and off the field, helps participants to build and maintain positive relationships as well as to treat setbacks and challenges as learning experiences for their own growth.

The Safe-Hub’s goal is to see that, when participants leave the FairPlay soccer program, they are healthy, independent, and engaged advocates for their own worth and full potential. In just five weeks* of the FairPlay soccer program:

85%

of 8-10 year-old participants

100%

of 11-14 year-old participants

Improved in at least one area of social and emotional development *The pre-survey was administered on week five of the fall season (October 3, 2020). Most participants had already taken part in between five and nine FairPlay sessions. The pre-survey was administered after the finalization of the monitoring and evaluation system and tools with our partner organization, Hello Insights.

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PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SAFETY Young people thrive in physically and emotionally stable and consistent spaces. In FairPlay soccer sessions, our coaches focused on creating a positive physical environment on the field and encouraged our participants to take control of their emotional safety and development.

During the program season, parents and caregivers recognized and appreciated that in the era of a global public health pandemic, growing social inequity, and rising crime rates around the city, the FairPlay soccer program provided a safe and healthy escape.

54%

of 8-10 year-old participants

85% of parents/caregivers agree or strongly agree that their children have spent more time exercising/ playing outside and less time on screens since joining FairPlay Soccer.

67%

of 11-14 year-old participants

Successfully improved their abilities to self-manage*

96%

of parents/caregivers strongly agree that the program was run safely for all participants/ families.

“The Safe-Hub program was an absolute blessing to everyone involved. We are so grateful to have been a part of it.”

Safe-Hub Parent/Caregiver

*To self-manage means to regulate their emotions and behavior, take positive risks, and persist through life’s challenges. Success is defined in two ways: for emerging capacities (below the 50th percentile, nationally), success is a .25 standard deviation increase across the capacity; for advanced capacities (above the 50th percentile, nationally), maintaining the original score or any standard deviation increase in that capacity is considered success.

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CHALLENGING AND ENGAGING LEARNING Young people succeed when they’re challenged and engaged. Through our FairPlay soccer curriculum, participants learned the fundamentals of soccer and a values-based life.

Compared to national averages, young people growing up in North Philadelphia are twice as likely to leave school before the end of high school. Through intentionally designed training sessions and team discussions, called Safe Zones, participants were exposed to lessons in respect, teamwork, self-control and perseverance that are critical to succeeding on the field and in the classroom.

67%

46%

of 11-14 year-old participants

of 8-10 year-old participants

Successfully improved their academic self-efficacy* The motivation to succeed on the field translates directly to other spaces in a young person’s life. Over the entirety of the fall season, parents and caregivers saw significant positive changes in their children’s attitudes and behaviors toward learning.

“What I loved most is [my foster daughter] has never played a sport and after this program she absolutely loves soccer now. She looked forward to playing every week.”

Safe-Hub Parent/Caregiver

88%

of parents/caregivers agree or strongly agree that their children have developed stronger learning habits since joining Safe-Hub.

of parents/caregivers agree or strongly agree that their children were happier on days/weeks when they attended programs as opposed to days/weeks when they did not attend.

100% 100%

*Academic self-efficacy is defined as the motivation and perceived mastery over their own learning, school performance, and potential to attain academic success.

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POSITIVE ROLE MODELS Young people deserve values-based role models. In addition to developing strong relationships with their peers, participants were coached by well-resourced volunteer coaches who facilitated an environment that emphasized the participant’s experience.

In uncertain times, a strong and meaningful network of peers and adults is central to a young person’s connectedness. Our team ensured that every child was heard, every day was engaging, and every moment was focused on their growth and development.

“I was so impressed by the coaches. They really seemed to care about the kids. They introduced themselves and asked the kids’ names and used them often throughout the season.”

Safe-Hub Parent/Caregiver

“The coaches were amazing with the kids. My daughter adores Ms. Grace and will miss her a lot.”

Safe-Hub Parent/Caregiver

54%

of 8-10 year-old participants

67%

of 11-14 year-old participants

Successfully improved their social skills* Parents and caregivers saw the FairPlay soccer coaches as strong role models. In addition to the positive example set by coaches, they also saw noteworthy positive changes in their children’s relationships.

96% 88%

of parents/caregivers strongly agree that the coaches were good role models for their children. of parents/caregivers agree or strongly agree that their children have stronger relationship skills since joining Safe-Hub.

*Social skills are defined as the ability to take others’ perspectives into account, and to develop a sense of caring and empathy.

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THE WAY FORWARD

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rue and meaningful change takes time. That our participants showed such significant progress over the final five weeks of the season and across all measures is nothing short of exceptional and inspirational. Through over a decade of developing our Safe-Hub approach in the townships of South Africa, which are some of the most inequitable places in the world, we have come to understand that creating a space for positive youth development requires day-in and day-out commitment to showing up, putting the participant first, and addressing the complex challenges our communities face.

While we will continue to provide our participants with Safe-Hub’s industry-leading sport-based youth development FairPlay soccer program, we will also reach further and deeper. Through partnerships with other community-based organizations like UESF, an amazing Philadelphia-based organization that stabilizes housing for families facing a housing crisis by addressing their immediate needs and removing barriers to long-term stability, we are bringing more services and programs directly to our families to address the problems that reinforce the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Over the coming years, we will broaden those partnerships, invest into the physical space, and extend our programs to support young people from cradle-to-career.

We invite you to join our campaign, and actively participate in creating a world where all young people access equal opportunities, strive to realize their full potential, and dare to dream.

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THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS!

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