AMERICA SCORES CLEVELAND

CORE SOCCER PROGRAMMING FOR GRADES 3-5 POET-ATHLETES (STUDENTS FROM PARTNERING CLEVELAND SCHOOLS) MEET WITH THEIR SOCCER COACHES FOR SOCCER PRACTICES AND GAMES DURING AFTERSCHOOL HOURS TWO DAYS PER WEEK FOR 22 WEEKS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, UTILIZING THE AMERICA SCORES SOCCER CURRICULUM. THIS CURRICULUM EMPHASIZES CHARACTER-BUILDING SKILLS SUCH AS LEADERSHIP, TEAMWORK AND COMMITMENT, DAILY LESSONS END WITH DISCUSSION PROMOTING HEALTHY BEHAVIORS, SELF-ESTEEM, GOAL SETTING AND SCHOOL STEWARDSHIP. POET-ATHLETES PLAY GAMES BETWEEN AMERICA SCORES SCHOOLS AT SCHOOL SITES AND OTHER COMMUNITY LOCATIONS ONCE PER WEEK. PROGRAM YEARS BEGIN AND END WITH COMMUNITY SOCCER EVENTS. DURING FY25, 366 STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-5 PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE 22 WEEKS OF WHICH 73% WERE RETURNING STUDENTS FROM FALL TO SPRING. 86% OF PARTICIPANTS IMPROVED ON THE PACER TEST IN THE NUMBER OF SHUTTLES RUN FROM THEIR PRE- TO POST-ASSESSMENT. 98% OF CAREGIVERS AGREED THAT THEIR CHILD SPENDS MORE TIME PHYSICALLY ACTIVE SINCE BEING PART OF THE SCORES PROGRAM

CORE WRITING PROGRAMMING FOR GRADES 3-5 POET-ATHLETES (STUDENTS FROM PARTNERING CLEVELAND SCHOOLS) MEET WITH THEIR WRITING COACHES FOR CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS DURING AFTERSCHOOL HOURS TWO DAYS PER WEEK FOR 22 WEEKS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. IN THE FALL, POET-ATHLETES ARE ENGAGED IN THE "POWER OF POETRY" CURRICULUM. THE FALL SEASON ENDS WITH A POETRY SLAM. THE SPRING WRITING CURRICULUM, "WRITING FOR THE COMMUNITY", FOCUSES ON SERVICE-LEARNING, WHERE POET-ATHLETES SELECT A COMMUNITY ISSUE AND THEN WORK AS A TEAM TO IMPLEMENT A SERVICE PROJECT. THE SPRING SEASON ENDS WITH A PRESENTATION OF TEAM-LED COMMUNITY PROJECTS. DURING FY25, 366 STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-5 PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE 22 WEEKS. 79% OF PARTICIPANTS MAINTAINED OR SHOWED IMPROVED ON THEIR WRITING ASSESSMENT, 91% OF COACHES SURVEYED, AGREED THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR LANGUAGE ARTS SKILLS; 93% OF PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT THE SCORES PROGRAM HELPED THEM BECOME COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT WHEN SPEAKING IN FRONT OF GROUPS OF PEOPLE; 92% OF CAREGIVERS/PARENTS AGREED THAT BECAUSE OF THE SCORES PROGRAM THEIR CHILD'S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IMPROVED SINCE JOINING AMERICA SCORES.