Bay Area

America SCORES has a vision for a better Bay Area where all children can read and write, play on a sports team, and be able to contribute to a better quality of life for all. We work toward this vision six days a week in the Bay Area’s most challenged public elementary schools. America SCORES is a 501c3 non-profit organization that delivers powerful and playful sports and language enrichment activities for students in grades K-8. America SCORES Bay Area runs programming in San Francisco, the East Bay, and is part of a national network with affiliates in 13 cities across the country. With help of our partners, we help children discover the benefits of working together as a team, the joy of physical activity, and the fun in reading and writing.

Soccer
We form soccer teams and give children a jersey, a ball and a chance to play on their school team. We create a sense of belonging and provide the opportunity for children to be physically active every day.

Literacy
The teams also meet with their writing coaches in twice-weekly writing workshops. These serve to accelerate literacy skills development, help students to become authors of their own poems and stories, and make reading and writing as fun as playing soccer.

Community
We build community by bringing all of the teams and their families together for weekly games, poetry slams, and book swaps. These events celebrate achievements and build bridges of understanding that cross racial, ethnic, and linguistic grounds.

The Result
As a result of America SCORES, students are stronger, smarter, and kinder. They achieve more for themselves, and along the way, they help others in need.

Our Mission
Founded in 2001, America SCORES Bay Area inspires urban youth to lead healthy lives, be engaged students, and have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world.

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
1 – We create teams through the sport of soccer.
2 – We bring these teams into the classroom to discover their voice through poetry.
3 – As a team, 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.

How We Do It
America SCORES Bay Area works in concert with after-school staff at urban public schools to run high quality enrichment programming. America SCORES provides training, resources, curriculum, and constant support to ensure the success of our unique programs.

Why We Do It
Because we love it. And because it works! (PDF)

For an overview of our programs, click here (PDF).

For a map of our school sites, click here.

America SCORES History
America SCORES Bay Area was started in 2001 as an affiliate of the tremendously successful national organization, America SCORES.  America SCORES Bay Area began its first year of programming with 150 youth in five schools in San Francisco. We have grown to offer programs to 1,000 youth in 20 schools in San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond, and San Pablo.

In 1994, a public school teacher in Washington, DC started a soccer league with the purpose of providing girls with an alternative to spending after-school time on the streets. She discovered her students were eager to learn about the sport, and in the process developed greater self-esteem, positive peer interactions, stronger attachments to school, and a motivation to exercise. During inclement weather, the teacher added a creative writing and literacy arts component to the sports program because, much like sports, literacy arts involve self-expression, group support, and public performance.

America SCORES runs programs in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Seattle, Portland, St. Louis, and Washington, DC.