OUR MISSION:
America SCORES inspires urban youth to lead healthy lives, be engaged students, and have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world.
OUR VISION:
America SCORES envisions a world where all youth find their voice, achieve their goals, and unleash their full potential.
OUR UNIQUE APPROACH:
America SCORES partners with urban schools to provide a high quality, team-based program that integrates soccer, poetry and service-learning. Our innovative approach improves students’ health, academic achievement and civic engagement.
THREE STEP PROCESS TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT:
- We create teams through the sport of soccer.
- We bring these teams into the classroom to discover their voice through poetry.
- As a team, the poet-athletes learn to use their voices to make change in their communities.
The result is a team of children who experience success on the field, in the classroom, and in the community.
HOLISTIC PROGRAM MODEL:
Soccer is a universal sport accessible to all children regardless of background and physical characteristics. It is an inclusive sport.
- Need: Urban schools often lack organized sport and high quality after-school activities. Students in these schools are in need of vigorous physical activity in order to improve their fitness.
- Impact: Aside from increased aerobic capacity and physical fitness, students who play soccer benefit from lessons in sportsmanship, discipline, problem solving, teamwork, and in core academic areas.
Poetry transcends culture and language and it helps children develop creative thinking, literacy and speaking skills.
- Need: Opportunities for self-expression are often lacking in urban schools.
- Impact: Writing poetry teaches students to develop creative writing and speaking skills. It also provides an outlet for students to voice personal issues and develop emotionally.
Service Learning helps children develop empathy, social responsibility and a sense of personal worth.
- Need: Urban children are often not aware of the relationship between their own academic achievement and their ability to improve their lives, their families and their communities.
- Impact: By providing guided, meaningful opportunities to serve their communities, children develop socially responsible behaviors and aspirations at an early age. These experiences help motivate students to believe in themselves and invest in their education.
Who we are and what we do:
America SCORES Milwaukee, a 501(c)3 non-profit, is one of 13 affiliate sites of the national organization America SCORES. America SCORES Milwaukee provides after-school programming to nearly 200 under-served children in urban public schools.
As a youth-development program, 16 boys and 16 girls from each SCORES school participate in the following program model:
- SCORES participants receive 90 minutes of after-school programming 5 days per week for 20 weeks throughout the school year.
- SCORES participants take part in 2 writing workshops and 3 soccer sessions weekly, each led by specially trained teachers who we refer to as "coaches".
- SCORES programming offers challenging and engaging activities and learning experiences, with focus on mastering new skills during their time in the program.
- The primary focus of the SCORES program is to enhance children's writing and public speaking skills, as well as to improve physical fitness and overall health through soccer practices and games.
America SCORES Milwaukee | 7101 W Good Hope Road | Milwaukee, WI 53223 | 414.358.2510
© 2012 America SCORES Milwaukee
"I did see the article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel yesterday. It was very complimentary of the program and its goals/objectives. I know the students here at Riley love the program and we are very thankful to be a part of SCORES. Thank you so much for all that you do for the program and for the students at Riley and the other schools. The publicity was great also! Thanks again"
-Riley Elementary Principal, Andrew Patterson"I would so like to thank the children again...We were truly overwhelmed to think that young children could accomplish so much with the right attitude in their hearts. With such kind spirits, they are sure to become exceptional adults..."
-Bernice Vega from the Family Support Center of Milwaukee, in response to one SCORES school's community service project.
