Causes: Children & Youth, Education, Educational Services, Recreation & Sports, Sports, Unknown, Youth Development Programs

Mission: DC SCORES goes where kids in need are and creates neighborhood teams that give kids the confidence and skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom, and in life.

Results: DC SCORES has served more than 9,000 low-income DC children since 1994. DCPS teacher -- as well as Teach for America alumna, soccer player, and poet -- Julie Kennedy founded DC SCORES to meet the needs of a group of 15 girls with little to do after school. She realized that bonds between teammates built on the soccer field forged a supportive community for poetry workshops -- which, in turn, built literacy skills and a forum for self-expression. The development of leadership skills through healthy competition empowered students to act as agents of change in their communities through service-learning projects. Twenty-two years later, DC SCORES provides year-round expanded learning programs for 2,200 3rd-8th graders (half boys, half girls) each year at Title I schools across the city in DC neighborhoods characterized by entrenched poverty. DC SCORES recently completed a growth phase which nearly doubled our student body, in recognition of unmet need, but still has a waiting list of more than 15 sites and a vision to serve all children in the District in need of a safe, supportive and stable after-school environment

Target demographics: 2,220 low-income DC youth ages 8-15.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 2,000 low-income DC kids.

Geographic areas served: Washington, DC

Programs: DC SCORES, we go where kids in need are and create neighborhood teams that give kids the confidence and skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom, and in life. We envision a DC where every child - no matter their family income - experiences the joys of childhood: sports, arts, service, and being part of a team. Where every child - no matter their family circumstances - is empowered to find academic success and grow into an emotionally and physically healthy teen and adult. Where every neighborhood supports and celebrates its children and their accomplishments on and off the playing field.