DC SCORES would like to thank the local and national funders who make our program a success* LEAGUE CHAMPIONS adidas America United Planning Organization U.S. Soccer Foundation TEAM CHAMPIONS Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation D.C. Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation 21st Century Community Learning Centers via DC Public Schools’ Middle School Matters Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation SCORING CHAMPIONS The Century Council D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities Office of the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (New Communities Youth Development & Community Wellness) Lois & Richard England Family Foundation John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education Hattie M. Strong Foundation Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. MVPs Herb Block Foundation Commonweal Foundation D.C. Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs District Sports The Frechette Family Foundation International Monetary Fund Civic Program Morningstar Philanthropic Fund Share Fund Soccer ’94 FANS Clark Construction Clark-Winchcole Foundation Cresa Washington DC
DIRECTV Gannett Foundation Corina Higginson Trust Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott Foundation University of Maryland Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership Robert Nakamoto Novo Nordisk Inc. George Wasserman Family Foundation PricewaterhouseCoopers Subaru of America Foundation, Inc. TD Bank (TD Charitable Foundation) Venable Foundation Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wells Fargo Foundation Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP SUPPORTERS The Advisory Board Company ALJAZEERA Alston & Bird LLP Arnold & Porter LLP Bingham McCutchen LLP Blackboard Booz Allen Hamilton CenturyLink Crowell & Moring Foundation Dimick Foundation Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Hogan Lovells US LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP Latham & Watkins LLP Jacob & Charlotte Lehrman Foundation Marriott International, Inc. Meltzer Group Employee Giving Fund Merrill Lynch National Home Library Foundation Sephora USA, Inc.
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP Training Resources Group Leslie Wilkes Zuckerman Spaeder LLP LEAGUE OF CHAMPIONS Anonymous Kevin and Rachel Alansky Anthony and Armandina Brown Chris Bruneau David and Brigitte Burgett Graeme Bush and Wendy Rudolph James Cain Ronya Corey and Devon McFadden Clem Dinsmore Kelly Dragelin Tilden and Mary Edwards Chris Finley and Ursula Savarain Anthony Francavilla Lon Goldstein Steve and Michelle Goodman John Graebner Jay and Cheryl Grauberger Martin L. Herbert Paul Jackson and Tracey Rutnik Omid Jahanbin Cal and Barbara Klausner Sam Klausner Dan and Kathleen Knise Carl Kravitz and Elizabeth Werner Jamaal Lampkin Peter Leibold and Liz McCloskey Karen Lovitch LMAC Foundation Peter Loge and Zoe Beckerman Don Marshall Jodi and Eldad Moraru John and Livezy More
Gina and Howard McMillan, III Jack Reagan Stephen Replogle and Skye Earls Chas and Sara Roades Gene Sachs Dontai Smalls Jan and Angelika Smilek Brendan and Tricia Sullivan Matt Tanielian Darrel Thomas Pierre Vigilance Richard and Batina Washington IN-KIND D.C. Stoddert Soccer League DrinkMore Water First Book – Washington, DC Modell’s Sporting Goods Penya Barcelonista Washington D.C. Occasions Caterers Office Depot Foundation PVBLIC Foundation Sport and Spine Rehab Starbucks The Taproot Foundation The Washington Post Venable LLP MATCHING GIFTS Breckinridge Capital Advisors DIRECTV Merrill Lynch The Pew Charitable Trusts Soros Fund Charitable Foundation Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
SCOOP
Spring2013 2014Volume Volume14, 15,Issue Issue2 2 Spring
Self-expression on stage!
The Poetry Slam! I have prepared for the Poetry Slam! I have used all my time so now I’m ready to hit my rhymes Nothing is going through my mind, only my rhymes. Now is the time to show off my skills.
*Supporters as of 2/1/2014
DC SCORES serves 1,500 low-income youth in Washington, DC!
I hear them
Photo by Ian Weston
cheering as I enter.
Students representing schools from all corners of the District were poetic, creative, and brave in taking the stage to perform their original works during the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam! Dec. 4-5. Recap p. 5. See videos at YouTube.com/DCSCORES.
I am scared and nervous but I know I will do great.
Harambee
GO POETRY SLAM!
Harambee in Swahili means we pull together We pull together to learn our history
Justin G. Seaton Elementary School
We pull together to have fun We pull together to act professional We pull together to be strong We pull together to have teamwork
IN THIS ISSUE
We pull together to help each other
Letter from the Executive Director, p. 2
We pull together to help the poor
Spring programming, school map, p. 3
We pull together to think We pull together to be honest
1224 M Street, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20005 www.DCSCORES.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Group Poem Imagine Hope Community Charter School - Tolson
Creation of U-16 soccer team, p. 4 A Poetry Slam! for the ages, p. 5 Volunteer spotlight, p. 6 Students learn about nutrition, p. 7
DC SCORES Building Teams, Improving Lives
CFC #82924
What is DC SCORES?
Executive Director’s Message
For people who believe in a wellrounded childhood, DC SCORES has a quality, team-based approach providing youth with the arts, athletics, and academics that will engage, enrich, and improve their lives. DC SCORES builds teams through after-school programs for 1,500 lowincome DC youth at 47 schools by instilling self-expression, physical fitness, and a sense of community. DC SCORES accomplishes this in an innovative model combining poetry and spoken word, soccer, and service-learning year-round. We have worked with over 8,000 students since our founding in 1994 and we aim to serve EVERY child in the District deserving of a team who does not have one. DC SCORES is an affiliate of America SCORES, with organizations in 13 cities.
Dear DC SCORES supporter, I am ready for spring — plain and simple. Our winter has been longer than usual, thus days have been colder, snow-filled, and complicated by school closings and cold buildings. I have never looked so forward to running around on green soccer fields again. Before we look too far ahead, I want to relish this school year and the work our students have done on and off the field. This fall was a tremendous time of poetic voice (p. 5) and athletic triumph (p. 4). Our students’ poems and performances have never been stronger — each team gels just as the nerve-wracking, but confidence-inducing Slam! arrives. The fall soccer season is a time when we don’t keep score and focus on learning and teamwork on the elementary school soccer side, while the middle schools play a full-fledged schedule that mirrors the competitive high school season in the District. Through the combination (arts and athletics), students are engaged, growing, and learning individually and collectively. If you have ever been on a team, you may remember the feeling of being in sync, celebrating strengths, and helping each other on weaknesses. This is what DC SCORES feels like every fall and spring — it’s awesome. Looking ahead, the spring academic component of the SCORES formula, service-learning, will push our in-sync teams to focus their energy on addressing a community issue (p. 7). Our students grapple with and exercise the power of their voices and actions through service — it’s truly powerful. As we welcome back warmth, we invite you to join our students’ journey this spring. Come visit the program, follow us online, or attend an upcoming High Five! Tour or spring event. You are always welcome to our team! Sincerely,
DC SCORES takes over social media! DCSCORES.blogspot.com Facebook.com/DCSCORES Twitter.com/DCSCORES YouTube.com/DCSCORES LinkedIn.com/ company/dc-scores
Amy Nakamoto Executive Director
Our Impact
Studying nutrition labels. Discovering refreshing substitutes for sugary soda. Learning about portion control. Those are just a few of the dozens of lessons students at seven schools learned about nutrition and healthy lifestyles during the winter DC SCORES program. From mid-January through February, students spent two days a week learning how to eat well — thanks to dedicated coaches and the USDA Power of Choice curriculum. The other two days, program participants took to the gym to practice soccer skills in preparation for the spring season and to stay in shape. Students came away from the winter program with not just improved soccer ability, but the knowledge to take care of themselves and even their families by preparing healthy foods and knowing what is too much. “Many of our students have never thought about what is in the food they eat,” said Elementary School Program Coordinator Rachel Klepper, who coaches the team at Thomson Elementary
www.DCSCORES.org
• Self-worth: 86% of parents say DC SCORES helps their child feel better about himself or herself. • Sense of belonging: Participants feel their coaches care about them, support them, and are available for help if they have a problem. “My stepson came from El Salvador the week before school started. He hated school and was nervous about coming here. Once soccer started, he felt a lot better about being at school and everyone on the team is very supportive.” — Esther Amaya, parent of a Bancroft Elementary School participant
Amy Nakamoto Executive Director
Katrina Owens Senior Director of Programs Daniel Meloy Senior Director of Development & Communications Charity Blackwell Soccer Coordinator
Bancroft Elementary School students enjoy frozen yogurt and 100 percent fruit juice beverages.
School. “So it is really exciting to see them start to realize what makes a food healthy or unhealthy. They love preparing a snack every day, and some of them even recreate those recipes at home with their families.” Added Kevyn L., a fifth-grader at Bancroft Elementary School: “We’re learning what we should eat, and how much we should eat.” Watch our video series about Bancroft Elementary School’s program at YouTube.com/DCSCORES.
Service-learning projects bring generations together
The spring DC SCORES season is underway, which means it’s time for soccer practices and game days (see p. 3). But that’s not all — with spring also comes the DC SCORES service-learning season. What is service-learning, you ask? Let us explain with an example: Last spring, students from Kelly Miller Middle School identified a need
DC SCORES Staff
Lyndsey Miller-Vierra Senior Director of Operations
Spring preview: community impact
• Physical fitness: 83% of parents say their children are more physically fit since participating in DC SCORES. • School engagement: Participants are more confident they will advance to the next grade level, graduate from eighth grade, and graduate from high school.
2
Students learn what’s healthy, what’s not
DC SCORES’ impact in fall 2013:
Instagram.com/dc_scores
SCOOP is written and produced by Communications Manager Jake Lloyd
Winter recap: emphasis on nutrition
in their greater community: residents at their neighborhood’s senior center didn’t know how to use technology such as cell phones and social media. This had created a disconnect between the residents and area youth. The students organized an event at the center where they taught the residents the basics of smartphones, Facebook, email and other new technologies. Even more than that, they left feeling a strong connection to their elders. The feeling was mutual. “I love talking to these kids,” one resident said. “You can just learn so much.” Building and strengthening communities through discovery, planning, and implementation of projects. That’s DC SCORES service-learning!
Sumayyah Daud Administrative Assistant Carlos Fonseca Program Manager — Soccer Operations Jessica Gilbert Middle School Poetry & Service-Learning Coordinator Sean Hinkle Program Director for Quality Jacqui Kemp Program Coordinator — Training & Logistics Rachel Klepper Elementary School Program Coordinator Jake Lloyd Communications Manager Alyssa Morse Community Outreach Coordinator Jessica Rosen Development Manager Ron Thurston Soccer Coordinator Jessica Trevelyan Grants Manager Keith Tucker Soccer Specialist Libby Watkins Program Coordinator — Evaluation & Monitoring
Phone: 202.393.6999 Email: firstinitiallastname @americascores.org Fax: 202.393.0655
7
DC SCORES organizational highlights
Program Manager Carlos Fonseca wins NSCAA scholarship
Executive Director Amy Nakamoto speaks on panel in Qatar
In mid-January, Program Manager for Soccer Operations Carlos Fonseca traveled to Philadelphia where he was awarded a National Diploma Course by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Fonseca’s scholarship was funded and provided by the Michael L. Curry fund (Fonseca, left, is pictured with Curry). Born in Washington, DC, and raised in nearby Silver Spring, Md., Fonseca has been involved in soccer — first as a player, then a volunteer coach for Damascus Soccer Club and Montgomery Soccer Inc. (MSI) — from a young age. Fonseca’s senior thesis paper at the University of Maryland focused on the prevention of childhood obesity through diet and physical activity, and he trains more than 90 DC SCORES coaches each fall and spring to implement the soccer aspect of our program. Read all staff bios at DCSCORES.org.
I n D e c e m b e r, D C SCORES Executive Director Amy Nakamoto was a featured speaker at the Gathering of All Leaders in Sport (GOAL) Doha conference in Qatar. Doha GOALS “is the world’s premier platform for world leaders to create initiatives for global progress through sport.” Nakamoto spoke on a panel with other leaders in youth development about Amy Nakamoto (right) with former NBA star and leader integrating sports into chilin sport Dikembe Mutombo. dren’s lifestyles. “I think it was really positive for DC SCORES to be on an international platform,” Nakamoto said. You can see all of DC SCORES’ organizational accomplishments in addition to mentions in the media by visiting DCSCORES.org.
Volunteer spotlight: Sean Conway, ref and assistant coach Each month on DCSCORES.blogspot.com, we highlight a volunteer who has made a significant impact on the program. One individual who stands out is Sean Conway, who first noticed DC SCORES on a child’s T-shirt when walking in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. “I assumed it had something to do with kids and soccer, and I had to look into it because I’ve played soccer all my life and have also done some coaching,” Conway said. Conway quickly got involved, volunteering at the Fall Frenzy in late October. At the outdoor soccer festival, he was asked to fill in as an assistant coach for Imagine Hope Community Charter School — Tolson Campus. Conway was unsure of how the kids would respond to an unfamiliar figure, but, “By the end they wanted to take pictures with me,” he said, “and asked me to come to their practices. I’ve since maintained contact with the coach and plan on going to watch their games and practices in the spring.” Now Conway hopes to become a consistent volunteer for DC SCORES. Thinking back to his childhood
6
of playing soccer, he understands the importance of providing teams for elementary and middle school-age youth. “I know I had a lot of influential coaches, and I just want to be able to give back in the same way,” Conway said. “You hear stories about seeing kids blossom as a result of programs like DC SCORES, and to have the chance to be involved in that process was the motivation. “We all have time to give, so why not?” DC SCORES is looking for volunteers. Whether you’re coaching, refereeing soccer games, or lending a hand at one of our events, you’re making a difference for low-income DC youth. Visit DCSCORES.org and click on the Volunteer link to get involved.
DC SCORES serves 1,500 youth in District Spring Program Calendar •
March 11: Programming begins.
•
April 4-5: First elementary and middle school soccer game days (throughout city).
•
April 7: America SCORES National Poetry SLAM!
•
April 12: Global Youth Service Day
•
May 6: SCORE Awards celebration
•
May 31: 19th Annual Jamboree!
Learn about our Impact
If you live in the Washington, D.C., area, here are three ways you can get involved with DC SCORES this spring. •
Visit our office for a High Five! Tour, a one-hour introduction to our mission. Email jrosen@americascores.org to sign up.
•
Come to a game day. Elementary and middle school game days are Thursday and Friday afternoons at 4pm. Visit DCSCORES.org for schedules and locations.
•
Sign up to volunteer. It’s easy to do at DCSCORES.org.
Spring 2014 DC SCORES Schools Ward 1
Ward 4
C.W. Harris Elementary School
Barnard Elementary School*
César Chávez Public Charter Middle School - Parkside Campus
Brightwood Education Campus^ Capital City Public Charter School*^ Powell Elementary School*
Bancroft Elementary School
Raymond Education Campus^
Cardozo Education Campus
Truesdell Education Campus^
César Chávez Public Charter Middle School — Chavez Prep* Columbia Heights Education Campus — Lincoln Middle School H.D. Cooke Elementary School Marie Reed Elementary School
Ward 5
KIPP DC: KEY Academy* J.C. Nalle Elementary School
Ward 8
Brookland Education Campus* Imagine Hope Community Charter School — Tolson Campus
Dr. John Hayden Johnson Middle School
Perry Street Preparatory Public Charter School
Tubman Elementary School
Wheatley Education Campus
Ward 2
Ward 6
KIPP DC: WILL Academy*
Jefferson Middle School*
Garrison Elementary School
Miner Elementary School*
Seaton Elementary School*
Kelly Miller Middle School
Garfield Elementary School
Sacred Heart Bilingual Catholic School*^
Thomson Elementary School
Drew Elementary School*
Ward 7 Aiton Elementary School
Ward 3
Anne Beers Elementary School
Alice Deal Middle School*
Arts and Technology Academy Burrville Elementary School
Hart Middle School* KIPP DC: AIM Academy* Leckie Elementary School* Moten Elementary School* Orr Elementary School* *Denotes schools participating in programing through a grant from The Social Innovation Fund administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to DC SCORES, the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) and KIPP DC in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation. ^Denotes school with elementary and middle school programs
3
Fall soccer recap: A dedication to improvement Teamwork, leadership, commitment on display at Capital Cup championships
As her team took laps around the field at Alice Deal Middle School on a cold Monday in late November, Caity Schneeman yelled, “TLC.” Teamwork. Leadership. Commitment. Those are the three values within each DC SCORES program throughout the District, and they were on full display when the fall soccer season concluded with three Capital Cup Championship middle school games. Schneeman’s KIPP AIM Academy co-ed team was overmatched by a talented Deal team, which led 5-0 by early in the second half. But KIPP never quit, running full-speed ahead to every loose ball until the final whistle pierced the cold air. That same afternoon, the Lincoln Middle School girls team (pictured) held a practice that the players wouldn’t let end. They were so committed to doing well in the next day’s championship game, they made sure they had their best practice leading up to it. The Knights’ work ethic throughout the season resulted in a 2-0 victory over Capital City Public Charter School. “They learned what it means to have commitment,” Lincoln coach and DC SCORES staff member Charity Blackwell said afterward. At halftime of the Lincoln boys’ game against Chávez Prep with the score tied 2-2, coach Popsie Lewis pulled aside his eighth-graders Larry D. and Edgar A. and reminded them they were the team’s leaders. The boys got the message, leading Lincoln to the championship. The next day at school, Lincoln’s victories were announced over the loudspeaker. “Everybody started clapping,” Larry said.
4
U-16 soccer team unites DC SCORES participants, alumni from many schools DC SCORES provides elementary and middle school soccer teams for District youth, but many participants are left on the sideline when they reach high school. Some DC high schools don’t even have soccer teams, especially for girls. To give an opportunity to such youth, a pair of DC SCORES volunteer coaches, Simon Landau and Popsie Lewis, created a U-16 team this past fall made up of 17 students from seven different schools spanning ages 10-15. They weren’t sure how a team with kids from so many different neighborhoods would fare or even if enough kids would commit every Saturday to long bus rides to the DC Stoddert League games. During the team’s last game in mid-November, the team’s unified, unselfish play clearly demonstrated that the fall season was a great success. Edwin Ordonez, 15 years old and a sophomore at Bell Multicultural High School, developed into a leader as a defender. With the clock winding down and the team leading 3-2, he yelled out encouragement in Spanish to his teammates. “I was telling them to work harder, don’t get tired, it’s the end of the game, we’re still winning,” Ordonez said. “And as you saw, we came through.” Landau and Lewis were so encouraged by the first season, they ran practices throughout the winter and want to give more kids the opportunity to keep playing and even get seen by high school coaches who might be interested. “When we first started the team, people weren’t as excited,” Landau said. “Now they wear their jerseys with pride. We started something from scratch to where we are now.” Added Lewis: “The goal is to not only get them to play high school soccer, but also to get them into college.”
Fall writing recap: Hard work in classroom shows on stage Students demonstrate growth at season-ending Poetry Slam! In early November, the Seaton Elementary School DC SCORES team visited Starbucks for a special occasion: the chance for students to practice spoken word in front of their peers. After each student stood up and performed an original poem, he or she was complimented and given constructive feedback by teammates. At the end of the visit, students were asked to perform a line from their poems while also expressing themselves non-verbally. A month later, the Seaton Stingers showed how much they had benefited from the workshop when they took the stage at Cardozo Education Campus for the first night of the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!. Confident and united, the Stingers’ three-poem performance was spectacular and won them first place and the Golden Mic trophy for the top elementary school performance. The Power of Poetry curriculum Poetry Slam! Winners each DC SCORES team works its way NIGHT 1 through during the Elementary Schools fall season is 182 1st: Seaton ES pages thick. With 2nd: Marie Reed ES writing workshops 3rd: Bancroft ES twice a week from Spirit Award: Tubman ES mid-September Shine Award: Sydney C., Bancroft through November, Middle Schools students learn how 1st: Truesdell EC to construct poetry, 2nd: Cardozo EC express their inner- 3rd: César Chávez PCMS — Prep most feelings, and Spirit Award: KIPP: KEY perform their origi- Shine Award: David T., Truesdell nal works with not just their voices but NIGHT 2 movements. That Elementary Schools was on display dur- 1st: Drew ES ing the two-night 2nd: Arts and Technology Acdmy. Slam!, the largest 3rd: Imagine Hope CCS — Tolson youth spoken word Spirit Award: Perry Street Prep PCS event in DC. Shine Award: Skky M., KIPP AIM Imagine Hope Academy won Middle Schools the middle school 1st: KIPP: AIM competition on 2nd: Kelly Miller MS the second night 3rd: Jefferson MS with an empower- Spirit Award: César Chávez PCMS ing performance — Parkside about education Shine Award: Immanuel W., KIPP highlighted by
Immanuel W.’s four-verse rap that won him the Shine Award for best individual performance. Between Imagine Hope demonstrating good soccer sportsmanship on stage, second-night Golden Mic winner Drew Elementary School rapping about having cleats on their feet, and many other inspiring performances, students demonstrated throughout the event how proud they are of being in DC SCORES. The Poetry Slam! was emceed by spoken word star KoM and Cortney Hicks the first night, and self-expression artist and teacher Clint Smith and DC SCORES staff member Charity Blackwell the second night. The event also featured special guests, Councilmember David Grosso and former Washington Wizards player and published poet Etan Thomas, who was also one of many volunteer judges. The DC SCORES writing program is funded by: DC Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation; D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Commonweal Foundation; Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; Dimick Foundation; Corina Higginson Trust; D.C. Office on Latino Affairs; Meltzer Group Employee Giving Fund; Subaru of America Foundation, Inc.; United Planning Organization; and Wells Fargo Foundation.
Student work Art
Art is my escape My escape from everything Art is my way of expressing my creativity and mood Art takes me on a trip of wonders Art is my escape My escape from pain and over-thinking Just over-flow with color and ideas Art brings up memories that make you cry And that sometime make you smile Art is unknown and is mystery
Group poem César Chávez Public Charter — Prep 5
Fall soccer recap: A dedication to improvement Teamwork, leadership, commitment on display at Capital Cup championships
As her team took laps around the field at Alice Deal Middle School on a cold Monday in late November, Caity Schneeman yelled, “TLC.” Teamwork. Leadership. Commitment. Those are the three values within each DC SCORES program throughout the District, and they were on full display when the fall soccer season concluded with three Capital Cup Championship middle school games. Schneeman’s KIPP AIM Academy co-ed team was overmatched by a talented Deal team, which led 5-0 by early in the second half. But KIPP never quit, running full-speed ahead to every loose ball until the final whistle pierced the cold air. That same afternoon, the Lincoln Middle School girls team (pictured) held a practice that the players wouldn’t let end. They were so committed to doing well in the next day’s championship game, they made sure they had their best practice leading up to it. The Knights’ work ethic throughout the season resulted in a 2-0 victory over Capital City Public Charter School. “They learned what it means to have commitment,” Lincoln coach and DC SCORES staff member Charity Blackwell said afterward. At halftime of the Lincoln boys’ game against Chávez Prep with the score tied 2-2, coach Popsie Lewis pulled aside his eighth-graders Larry D. and Edgar A. and reminded them they were the team’s leaders. The boys got the message, leading Lincoln to the championship. The next day at school, Lincoln’s victories were announced over the loudspeaker. “Everybody started clapping,” Larry said.
4
U-16 soccer team unites DC SCORES participants, alumni from many schools DC SCORES provides elementary and middle school soccer teams for District youth, but many participants are left on the sideline when they reach high school. Some DC high schools don’t even have soccer teams, especially for girls. To give an opportunity to such youth, a pair of DC SCORES volunteer coaches, Simon Landau and Popsie Lewis, created a U-16 team this past fall made up of 17 students from seven different schools spanning ages 10-15. They weren’t sure how a team with kids from so many different neighborhoods would fare or even if enough kids would commit every Saturday to long bus rides to the DC Stoddert League games. During the team’s last game in mid-November, the team’s unified, unselfish play clearly demonstrated that the fall season was a great success. Edwin Ordonez, 15 years old and a sophomore at Bell Multicultural High School, developed into a leader as a defender. With the clock winding down and the team leading 3-2, he yelled out encouragement in Spanish to his teammates. “I was telling them to work harder, don’t get tired, it’s the end of the game, we’re still winning,” Ordonez said. “And as you saw, we came through.” Landau and Lewis were so encouraged by the first season, they ran practices throughout the winter and want to give more kids the opportunity to keep playing and even get seen by high school coaches who might be interested. “When we first started the team, people weren’t as excited,” Landau said. “Now they wear their jerseys with pride. We started something from scratch to where we are now.” Added Lewis: “The goal is to not only get them to play high school soccer, but also to get them into college.”
Fall writing recap: Hard work in classroom shows on stage Students demonstrate growth at season-ending Poetry Slam! In early November, the Seaton Elementary School DC SCORES team visited Starbucks for a special occasion: the chance for students to practice spoken word in front of their peers. After each student stood up and performed an original poem, he or she was complimented and given constructive feedback by teammates. At the end of the visit, students were asked to perform a line from their poems while also expressing themselves non-verbally. A month later, the Seaton Stingers showed how much they had benefited from the workshop when they took the stage at Cardozo Education Campus for the first night of the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam!. Confident and united, the Stingers’ three-poem performance was spectacular and won them first place and the Golden Mic trophy for the top elementary school performance. The Power of Poetry curriculum Poetry Slam! Winners each DC SCORES team works its way NIGHT 1 through during the Elementary Schools fall season is 182 1st: Seaton ES pages thick. With 2nd: Marie Reed ES writing workshops 3rd: Bancroft ES twice a week from Spirit Award: Tubman ES mid-September Shine Award: Sydney C., Bancroft through November, Middle Schools students learn how 1st: Truesdell EC to construct poetry, 2nd: Cardozo EC express their inner- 3rd: César Chávez PCMS — Prep most feelings, and Spirit Award: KIPP: KEY perform their origi- Shine Award: David T., Truesdell nal works with not just their voices but NIGHT 2 movements. That Elementary Schools was on display dur- 1st: Drew ES ing the two-night 2nd: Arts and Technology Acdmy. Slam!, the largest 3rd: Imagine Hope CCS — Tolson youth spoken word Spirit Award: Perry Street Prep PCS event in DC. Shine Award: Skky M., KIPP AIM Imagine Hope Academy won Middle Schools the middle school 1st: KIPP: AIM competition on 2nd: Kelly Miller MS the second night 3rd: Jefferson MS with an empower- Spirit Award: César Chávez PCMS ing performance — Parkside about education Shine Award: Immanuel W., KIPP highlighted by
Immanuel W.’s four-verse rap that won him the Shine Award for best individual performance. Between Imagine Hope demonstrating good soccer sportsmanship on stage, second-night Golden Mic winner Drew Elementary School rapping about having cleats on their feet, and many other inspiring performances, students demonstrated throughout the event how proud they are of being in DC SCORES. The Poetry Slam! was emceed by spoken word star KoM and Cortney Hicks the first night, and self-expression artist and teacher Clint Smith and DC SCORES staff member Charity Blackwell the second night. The event also featured special guests, Councilmember David Grosso and former Washington Wizards player and published poet Etan Thomas, who was also one of many volunteer judges. The DC SCORES writing program is funded by: DC Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation; D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Commonweal Foundation; Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; Dimick Foundation; Corina Higginson Trust; D.C. Office on Latino Affairs; Meltzer Group Employee Giving Fund; Subaru of America Foundation, Inc.; United Planning Organization; and Wells Fargo Foundation.
Student work Art
Art is my escape My escape from everything Art is my way of expressing my creativity and mood Art takes me on a trip of wonders Art is my escape My escape from pain and over-thinking Just over-flow with color and ideas Art brings up memories that make you cry And that sometime make you smile Art is unknown and is mystery
Group poem César Chávez Public Charter — Prep 5
DC SCORES organizational highlights
Program Manager Carlos Fonseca wins NSCAA scholarship
Executive Director Amy Nakamoto speaks on panel in Qatar
In mid-January, Program Manager for Soccer Operations Carlos Fonseca traveled to Philadelphia where he was awarded a National Diploma Course by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Fonseca’s scholarship was funded and provided by the Michael L. Curry fund (Fonseca, left, is pictured with Curry). Born in Washington, DC, and raised in nearby Silver Spring, Md., Fonseca has been involved in soccer — first as a player, then a volunteer coach for Damascus Soccer Club and Montgomery Soccer Inc. (MSI) — from a young age. Fonseca’s senior thesis paper at the University of Maryland focused on the prevention of childhood obesity through diet and physical activity, and he trains more than 90 DC SCORES coaches each fall and spring to implement the soccer aspect of our program. Read all staff bios at DCSCORES.org.
I n D e c e m b e r, D C SCORES Executive Director Amy Nakamoto was a featured speaker at the Gathering of All Leaders in Sport (GOAL) Doha conference in Qatar. Doha GOALS “is the world’s premier platform for world leaders to create initiatives for global progress through sport.” Nakamoto spoke on a panel with other leaders in youth development about Amy Nakamoto (right) with former NBA star and leader integrating sports into chilin sport Dikembe Mutombo. dren’s lifestyles. “I think it was really positive for DC SCORES to be on an international platform,” Nakamoto said. You can see all of DC SCORES’ organizational accomplishments in addition to mentions in the media by visiting DCSCORES.org.
Volunteer spotlight: Sean Conway, ref and assistant coach Each month on DCSCORES.blogspot.com, we highlight a volunteer who has made a significant impact on the program. One individual who stands out is Sean Conway, who first noticed DC SCORES on a child’s T-shirt when walking in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. “I assumed it had something to do with kids and soccer, and I had to look into it because I’ve played soccer all my life and have also done some coaching,” Conway said. Conway quickly got involved, volunteering at the Fall Frenzy in late October. At the outdoor soccer festival, he was asked to fill in as an assistant coach for Imagine Hope Community Charter School — Tolson Campus. Conway was unsure of how the kids would respond to an unfamiliar figure, but, “By the end they wanted to take pictures with me,” he said, “and asked me to come to their practices. I’ve since maintained contact with the coach and plan on going to watch their games and practices in the spring.” Now Conway hopes to become a consistent volunteer for DC SCORES. Thinking back to his childhood
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of playing soccer, he understands the importance of providing teams for elementary and middle school-age youth. “I know I had a lot of influential coaches, and I just want to be able to give back in the same way,” Conway said. “You hear stories about seeing kids blossom as a result of programs like DC SCORES, and to have the chance to be involved in that process was the motivation. “We all have time to give, so why not?” DC SCORES is looking for volunteers. Whether you’re coaching, refereeing soccer games, or lending a hand at one of our events, you’re making a difference for low-income DC youth. Visit DCSCORES.org and click on the Volunteer link to get involved.
DC SCORES serves 1,500 youth in District Spring Program Calendar •
March 11: Programming begins.
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April 4-5: First elementary and middle school soccer game days (throughout city).
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April 7: America SCORES National Poetry SLAM!
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April 12: Global Youth Service Day
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May 6: SCORE Awards celebration
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May 31: 19th Annual Jamboree!
Learn about our Impact
If you live in the Washington, D.C., area, here are three ways you can get involved with DC SCORES this spring. •
Visit our office for a High Five! Tour, a one-hour introduction to our mission. Email jrosen@americascores.org to sign up.
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Come to a game day. Elementary and middle school game days are Thursday and Friday afternoons at 4pm. Visit DCSCORES.org for schedules and locations.
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Sign up to volunteer. It’s easy to do at DCSCORES.org.
Spring 2014 DC SCORES Schools Ward 1
Ward 4
C.W. Harris Elementary School
Barnard Elementary School*
César Chávez Public Charter Middle School - Parkside Campus
Brightwood Education Campus^ Capital City Public Charter School*^ Powell Elementary School*
Bancroft Elementary School
Raymond Education Campus^
Cardozo Education Campus
Truesdell Education Campus^
César Chávez Public Charter Middle School — Chavez Prep* Columbia Heights Education Campus — Lincoln Middle School H.D. Cooke Elementary School Marie Reed Elementary School
Ward 5
KIPP DC: KEY Academy* J.C. Nalle Elementary School
Ward 8
Brookland Education Campus* Imagine Hope Community Charter School — Tolson Campus
Dr. John Hayden Johnson Middle School
Perry Street Preparatory Public Charter School
Tubman Elementary School
Wheatley Education Campus
Ward 2
Ward 6
KIPP DC: WILL Academy*
Jefferson Middle School*
Garrison Elementary School
Miner Elementary School*
Seaton Elementary School*
Kelly Miller Middle School
Garfield Elementary School
Sacred Heart Bilingual Catholic School*^
Thomson Elementary School
Drew Elementary School*
Ward 7 Aiton Elementary School
Ward 3
Anne Beers Elementary School
Alice Deal Middle School*
Arts and Technology Academy Burrville Elementary School
Hart Middle School* KIPP DC: AIM Academy* Leckie Elementary School* Moten Elementary School* Orr Elementary School* *Denotes schools participating in programing through a grant from The Social Innovation Fund administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to DC SCORES, the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) and KIPP DC in partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation. ^Denotes school with elementary and middle school programs
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What is DC SCORES?
Executive Director’s Message
For people who believe in a wellrounded childhood, DC SCORES has a quality, team-based approach providing youth with the arts, athletics, and academics that will engage, enrich, and improve their lives. DC SCORES builds teams through after-school programs for 1,500 lowincome DC youth at 47 schools by instilling self-expression, physical fitness, and a sense of community. DC SCORES accomplishes this in an innovative model combining poetry and spoken word, soccer, and service-learning year-round. We have worked with over 8,000 students since our founding in 1994 and we aim to serve EVERY child in the District deserving of a team who does not have one. DC SCORES is an affiliate of America SCORES, with organizations in 13 cities.
Dear DC SCORES supporter, I am ready for spring — plain and simple. Our winter has been longer than usual, thus days have been colder, snow-filled, and complicated by school closings and cold buildings. I have never looked so forward to running around on green soccer fields again. Before we look too far ahead, I want to relish this school year and the work our students have done on and off the field. This fall was a tremendous time of poetic voice (p. 5) and athletic triumph (p. 4). Our students’ poems and performances have never been stronger — each team gels just as the nerve-wracking, but confidence-inducing Slam! arrives. The fall soccer season is a time when we don’t keep score and focus on learning and teamwork on the elementary school soccer side, while the middle schools play a full-fledged schedule that mirrors the competitive high school season in the District. Through the combination (arts and athletics), students are engaged, growing, and learning individually and collectively. If you have ever been on a team, you may remember the feeling of being in sync, celebrating strengths, and helping each other on weaknesses. This is what DC SCORES feels like every fall and spring — it’s awesome. Looking ahead, the spring academic component of the SCORES formula, service-learning, will push our in-sync teams to focus their energy on addressing a community issue (p. 7). Our students grapple with and exercise the power of their voices and actions through service — it’s truly powerful. As we welcome back warmth, we invite you to join our students’ journey this spring. Come visit the program, follow us online, or attend an upcoming High Five! Tour or spring event. You are always welcome to our team! Sincerely,
DC SCORES takes over social media! DCSCORES.blogspot.com Facebook.com/DCSCORES Twitter.com/DCSCORES YouTube.com/DCSCORES LinkedIn.com/ company/dc-scores
Amy Nakamoto Executive Director
Our Impact
Studying nutrition labels. Discovering refreshing substitutes for sugary soda. Learning about portion control. Those are just a few of the dozens of lessons students at seven schools learned about nutrition and healthy lifestyles during the winter DC SCORES program. From mid-January through February, students spent two days a week learning how to eat well — thanks to dedicated coaches and the USDA Power of Choice curriculum. The other two days, program participants took to the gym to practice soccer skills in preparation for the spring season and to stay in shape. Students came away from the winter program with not just improved soccer ability, but the knowledge to take care of themselves and even their families by preparing healthy foods and knowing what is too much. “Many of our students have never thought about what is in the food they eat,” said Elementary School Program Coordinator Rachel Klepper, who coaches the team at Thomson Elementary
www.DCSCORES.org
• Self-worth: 86% of parents say DC SCORES helps their child feel better about himself or herself. • Sense of belonging: Participants feel their coaches care about them, support them, and are available for help if they have a problem. “My stepson came from El Salvador the week before school started. He hated school and was nervous about coming here. Once soccer started, he felt a lot better about being at school and everyone on the team is very supportive.” — Esther Amaya, parent of a Bancroft Elementary School participant
Amy Nakamoto Executive Director
Katrina Owens Senior Director of Programs Daniel Meloy Senior Director of Development & Communications Charity Blackwell Soccer Coordinator
Bancroft Elementary School students enjoy frozen yogurt and 100 percent fruit juice beverages.
School. “So it is really exciting to see them start to realize what makes a food healthy or unhealthy. They love preparing a snack every day, and some of them even recreate those recipes at home with their families.” Added Kevyn L., a fifth-grader at Bancroft Elementary School: “We’re learning what we should eat, and how much we should eat.” Watch our video series about Bancroft Elementary School’s program at YouTube.com/DCSCORES.
Service-learning projects bring generations together
The spring DC SCORES season is underway, which means it’s time for soccer practices and game days (see p. 3). But that’s not all — with spring also comes the DC SCORES service-learning season. What is service-learning, you ask? Let us explain with an example: Last spring, students from Kelly Miller Middle School identified a need
DC SCORES Staff
Lyndsey Miller-Vierra Senior Director of Operations
Spring preview: community impact
• Physical fitness: 83% of parents say their children are more physically fit since participating in DC SCORES. • School engagement: Participants are more confident they will advance to the next grade level, graduate from eighth grade, and graduate from high school.
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Students learn what’s healthy, what’s not
DC SCORES’ impact in fall 2013:
Instagram.com/dc_scores
SCOOP is written and produced by Communications Manager Jake Lloyd
Winter recap: emphasis on nutrition
in their greater community: residents at their neighborhood’s senior center didn’t know how to use technology such as cell phones and social media. This had created a disconnect between the residents and area youth. The students organized an event at the center where they taught the residents the basics of smartphones, Facebook, email and other new technologies. Even more than that, they left feeling a strong connection to their elders. The feeling was mutual. “I love talking to these kids,” one resident said. “You can just learn so much.” Building and strengthening communities through discovery, planning, and implementation of projects. That’s DC SCORES service-learning!
Sumayyah Daud Administrative Assistant Carlos Fonseca Program Manager — Soccer Operations Jessica Gilbert Middle School Poetry & Service-Learning Coordinator Sean Hinkle Program Director for Quality Jacqui Kemp Program Coordinator — Training & Logistics Rachel Klepper Elementary School Program Coordinator Jake Lloyd Communications Manager Alyssa Morse Community Outreach Coordinator Jessica Rosen Development Manager Ron Thurston Soccer Coordinator Jessica Trevelyan Grants Manager Keith Tucker Soccer Specialist Libby Watkins Program Coordinator — Evaluation & Monitoring
Phone: 202.393.6999 Email: firstinitiallastname @americascores.org Fax: 202.393.0655
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DC SCORES would like to thank the local and national funders who make our program a success* LEAGUE CHAMPIONS adidas America United Planning Organization U.S. Soccer Foundation TEAM CHAMPIONS Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation D.C. Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation 21st Century Community Learning Centers via DC Public Schools’ Middle School Matters Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation SCORING CHAMPIONS The Century Council D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities Office of the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (New Communities Youth Development & Community Wellness) Lois & Richard England Family Foundation John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education Hattie M. Strong Foundation Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. MVPs Herb Block Foundation Commonweal Foundation D.C. Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs District Sports The Frechette Family Foundation International Monetary Fund Civic Program Morningstar Philanthropic Fund Share Fund Soccer ’94 FANS Clark Construction Clark-Winchcole Foundation Cresa Washington DC
DIRECTV Gannett Foundation Corina Higginson Trust Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott Foundation University of Maryland Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership Robert Nakamoto Novo Nordisk Inc. George Wasserman Family Foundation PricewaterhouseCoopers Subaru of America Foundation, Inc. TD Bank (TD Charitable Foundation) Venable Foundation Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Wells Fargo Foundation Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP SUPPORTERS The Advisory Board Company ALJAZEERA Alston & Bird LLP Arnold & Porter LLP Bingham McCutchen LLP Blackboard Booz Allen Hamilton CenturyLink Crowell & Moring Foundation Dimick Foundation Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Hogan Lovells US LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP Latham & Watkins LLP Jacob & Charlotte Lehrman Foundation Marriott International, Inc. Meltzer Group Employee Giving Fund Merrill Lynch National Home Library Foundation Sephora USA, Inc.
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP Training Resources Group Leslie Wilkes Zuckerman Spaeder LLP LEAGUE OF CHAMPIONS Anonymous Kevin and Rachel Alansky Anthony and Armandina Brown Chris Bruneau David and Brigitte Burgett Graeme Bush and Wendy Rudolph James Cain Ronya Corey and Devon McFadden Clem Dinsmore Kelly Dragelin Tilden and Mary Edwards Chris Finley and Ursula Savarain Anthony Francavilla Lon Goldstein Steve and Michelle Goodman John Graebner Jay and Cheryl Grauberger Martin L. Herbert Paul Jackson and Tracey Rutnik Omid Jahanbin Cal and Barbara Klausner Sam Klausner Dan and Kathleen Knise Carl Kravitz and Elizabeth Werner Jamaal Lampkin Peter Leibold and Liz McCloskey Karen Lovitch LMAC Foundation Peter Loge and Zoe Beckerman Don Marshall Jodi and Eldad Moraru John and Livezy More
Gina and Howard McMillan, III Jack Reagan Stephen Replogle and Skye Earls Chas and Sara Roades Gene Sachs Dontai Smalls Jan and Angelika Smilek Brendan and Tricia Sullivan Matt Tanielian Darrel Thomas Pierre Vigilance Richard and Batina Washington IN-KIND D.C. Stoddert Soccer League DrinkMore Water First Book – Washington, DC Modell’s Sporting Goods Penya Barcelonista Washington D.C. Occasions Caterers Office Depot Foundation PVBLIC Foundation Sport and Spine Rehab Starbucks The Taproot Foundation The Washington Post Venable LLP MATCHING GIFTS Breckinridge Capital Advisors DIRECTV Merrill Lynch The Pew Charitable Trusts Soros Fund Charitable Foundation Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
SCOOP
Spring2013 2014Volume Volume14, 15,Issue Issue2 2 Spring
Self-expression on stage!
The Poetry Slam! I have prepared for the Poetry Slam! I have used all my time so now I’m ready to hit my rhymes Nothing is going through my mind, only my rhymes. Now is the time to show off my skills.
*Supporters as of 2/1/2014
DC SCORES serves 1,500 low-income youth in Washington, DC!
I hear them
Photo by Ian Weston
cheering as I enter.
Students representing schools from all corners of the District were poetic, creative, and brave in taking the stage to perform their original works during the 16th Annual DC SCORES Poetry Slam! Dec. 4-5. Recap p. 5. See videos at YouTube.com/DCSCORES.
I am scared and nervous but I know I will do great.
Harambee
GO POETRY SLAM!
Harambee in Swahili means we pull together We pull together to learn our history
Justin G. Seaton Elementary School
We pull together to have fun We pull together to act professional We pull together to be strong We pull together to have teamwork
IN THIS ISSUE
We pull together to help each other
Letter from the Executive Director, p. 2
We pull together to help the poor
Spring programming, school map, p. 3
We pull together to think We pull together to be honest
1224 M Street, NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20005 www.DCSCORES.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Group Poem Imagine Hope Community Charter School - Tolson
Creation of U-16 soccer team, p. 4 A Poetry Slam! for the ages, p. 5 Volunteer spotlight, p. 6 Students learn about nutrition, p. 7
DC SCORES Building Teams, Improving Lives
CFC #82924