About Us

• Overview
• Program
• History
• National Board and Staff
• Impact
• Volunteer
• Sites in Development
• Sponsors
• Start a Program
• Annual Reports

Sites in Development

Portland

Portland, Oregon introduced America SCORES curriculum to over 200 students in nine schools in the October 2011 under a broader umbrella initiative called, AC Portland.

The Oregon State University Extension Service partnered with AC Portland to conduct a joint coaches training session with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, addressing broader topics such as group mentoring models – and featuring keynote addresses by Dave Irby, a well-known advocate for soccer as a youth development tool in international applications – and Scott Poole, a side-splitting author and poet who had plenty of helpful tips in introducing poetry to students.

AC Portland establishes, essentially, a multi-featured soccer club at a school site in partnership with a local youth development agency already at work in the neighborhood.  America SCORES curriculum is at the center of the Club program, but an array of other soccer-themed activity is underway as well.  AC Portland locations also feature the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Soccer for Success program to help reach a larger number and broader age spread of students in each neighborhood.

AC Portland is also organizing a neighborhood leadership group to continue to build the impact and profile of each site, including identifying and pursuing a community field improvement project to serve as the showcase field for the America SCORES program and to put soccer-infused youth and community development activity in the spotlight.  The first two of eight planned fields have been completed – thanks to many, but certainly the Portland Timbers, adidas, the Timbers Army fan group, and the Luis Palau Association.  Costs were kept low by multiple community work days, where over 500 volunteers turned asphalt wasteland into Field Turf heaven.

AC Portland has inspired a broad array of partnerships – and poetry is sprouting up in local Burgerville restaurants, Café’s and school hallways EVERYWHERE.

Portland’s Poetry Slam is scheduled for a historic local high school auditorium on November 17^th and each school is treated to a pre-event family dinner by a neighborhood service organization – and will be welcomed by delegations of Fans from the Timbers Army.  Everyone will shine!

To learn more about our efforts in Portland, please contact Rich Recker at 971-234-2758 or via e-mail at info@ACPortland.org.