DC SCORES

DC SCORES builds teams through after-school programs for over 800 low-income DC youth at 27 schools by instilling self-expression, physical fitness, and a sense of community. Through an innovative model combining poetry and spoken word, soccer, and service-learning year-round, students are engaged in arts, athletics, and academics daily. At DC SCORES, we believe that every child should grow up with these basic elements available to them and we could not provide these services without the help of energetic volunteers who are committed to making a difference in the community.

There is a volunteer role at DC SCORES for everyone, whether you would like to volunteer just one day a year, or 5 days a week!

• Soccer Referees are needed for elementary school games from 3:45PM – 5:45PM each Thursday and Friday during the spring season (March 29^th – May 25^th). Locations vary. No prior ref experience needed!

• Assistant Soccer Coaches and Assistant Creative Writing Coaches are needed during the after-school program hours of 3:00PM – 6:00PM, Monday-Friday.

• Special Events Volunteers join in on various weekends/late weeknights at events like the Fall Frenzy, Poetry Slam, Jamboree, Inspired Art Gala, and SCORES Cup.

• Corporate/Group Volunteers are encouraged to help us at one of our special events, however, contact Sean Hinkle, DC SCORES Volunteer Manager, to talk about other ongoing, periodic or one-time event opportunities.

• High School Student Volunteers seeking community service hours are encouraged to volunteer as a Soccer Referee, Summer Camp Counselor, or at a Special Event.

• Other – Are you a skilled Photographer/Videographer? Graphic Design expert? Local artist? Own a restaurant?  Donate your skills to DC SCORES or lend us your space for a fundraising event. These donated services allow DC SCORES to put more funds towards the program and serving the youth of DC.

Are you ready to get involved?! Fill out the volunteer application. For any questions or to get more information, get in touch:

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Soccer Referee

Help DC SCORES achieve its mission by giving local students a chance to play organized soccer – volunteer as a referee at a DC SCORES elementary or middle school soccer game! ES games are played each Thursday and MS games are played each Friday, bringing together over 800 kids from schools around DC. Fields are located at school sites throughout DC, and we will try to match you with a field based on your location and mode of transportation.

Typical Day:

• 3:45PM Away team arrives by bus to home team’s field
• 4:00PM Girls game kicks off
• 4:50PM Boys game kicks off
• 5:40PM Games finish and away team departs

Your Tasks: Referee both games. For elementary school games, no prior refereeing experience is needed. For middle school games, we ask that volunteers have some prior experience refereeing, or know the rules of the game fairly well (played in high school, college, club soccer, etc.). DC SCORES’ soccer leagues are recreational and small sided (8v8) with an emphasis on sportsmanship and learning. We ask our referees to show patience and promote a fun learning experience for the players. A DC SCORES staff member will meet you at the field to provide you with a stopwatch, scorecard, whistle, and extra support.

Commitment: Volunteer every week or just when you can. We prefer referees that can commit to helping once every week, but we maintain a system that allows referees to be flexible with their commitments.

Age Requirements: Volunteers must be at least 15 years of age to referee elementary school games, and 18 to referee middle school games.

Ready to get involved? Fill out our volunteer application!

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Assistant Soccer Coach

Help DC SCORES achieve its mission by giving local students a chance to play organized soccer – volunteer as an Assistant Soccer Coach at a DC SCORES school! Support a soccer coach leading a practice session for a group of 16 students. Soccer practices cover fundamental game skills as well as discussions about teamwork and healthy behaviors.

Frequency: 2-3 days/week, 1-2 hours after school (between 3-6pm) – days and times depend on school schedule. The fall soccer season begins September 12^th and finishes December 1^st.

Typical Day:

• 15min Stretching & other warm-up activities
• 35min Skill-based drills (dribbling, throw-ins, shooting)
• 30min Scrimmage
• 10min Discussion

Your Tasks: Help the soccer coach oversee the children, and have fun by playing along with skill-building games. Lead a stretching routine while talking about healthy snacks or behaviors that are beneficial to the children. Referee a scrimmage, pass out balls, etc.

Commitment: Consistency is a key aspect to DC SCORES programming. The children who participate look forward to working with mentors who are frequent visitors. We request that Assistant Soccer Coaches volunteer at least twice per week…and remember to dress comfortably!

Ready to get involved? Fill out our volunteer application!

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Assistant Creative Writing Coach

Help DC SCORES achieve its mission by giving local students a chance to learn and express themselves in the classroom – volunteer as an Assistant Creative Writing Coach at a DC SCORES school! Support a writing ‘coach’ leading a creative writing workshop for a group of 16 students. Fall writing workshops are poetry based, while spring workshops are service learning based, incorporating creative writing.

Frequency: 2 days/week, 1-2 hours after school (between 3-6pm) – days and times depend on school schedule. The fall program begins September 12^th and culminates at the Poetry Slam on November 30^th/December 1^st.

Typical Day:

• 15min Journaling
• 60min Lesson
• 15min Presenting Work/Reciting Poems

Your Tasks: Help the writing coach oversee the children. Answer general questions children may have. Assist with word spelling and brainstorming writing topics. Even write your own poems to share with the class!

Commitment: Consistency is a key aspect to DC SCORES programming. The children who participate look forward to working with mentors who are frequent visitors. We request that Writing Assistants volunteer at least once per week.

Ready to get involved? Fill out our volunteer application!

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Special Events/Group Volunteers (weekend/late weeknight)

DC SCORES hosts several special events throughout the year. The Fall Frenzy, Poetry Slam, and Jamboree are program related and involve our poet-athletes, while the Inspired Art Gala and SCORES Cup is a fundraising event having little interaction with the students. Although not all events are listed, the primary DC SCORES events include:

Your Tasks: Tasks are dependent upon event and your skill set. Groups/companies can sign up as a group to run a booth (relay races, face painting, arts & crafts, etc.) at the Fall Frenzy or Jamboree.

Ready to get involved? Fill out our volunteer application!

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Summer Camp Counselor

DC SCORES offers free summer camps that are open to the all children from grades 3-8. We have camps that combine art & soccer and other camps that are soccer specific.

Who Is Involved? DC SCORES staff and other camp leaders. Camp sizes vary from 40 – 80 children, from 3rd to 8th grade.

Dates: TBD; past dates have included a week-long soccer camp in early June, a six week soccer & arts camp from late June to early August, and a three week soccer camp during July

Your Tasks:

Counselor (minimum age of 15 years old):

• Assist with soccer drills
• Assist Camp Directors with daily duties
• Support campers as they transition between activities
• Foster positive teamwork and leadership skills in campers
• Aide with small groups of students in activities, as assigned by the camp leader
• Assure campers’ safety throughout the day

Commitment: Consistency is a key aspect to DC SCORES. The children who participate in our camps look forward to working with mentors who are frequent visitors. We prefer volunteers that can commit to a full week, however we can make individual accommodations if needed.

Ready to get involved? Fill out our volunteer application!

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Photography/Videography

DC SCORES is seeking photographers/videographers to help us capture and tell the stories of our program. We frequently use photographs and video of our poet-athletes, coaches, and volunteers in various publications. Photographers /videographers of all skill levels are welcome. We are in particular need of help shooting at our special events, but we also are seeking to photos/videos from the soccer field and in the classroom.

Frequency: At your convenience. Events are listed at www.dcscores.org. In addition to these dates, we can always work with your schedule to find an opportunity that fits.

Your Tasks: Help us tell our story through photos and video! Take as many or as few pictures as you’re comfortable with.

Location: All of our schools during the week, on the field or in the classroom, and Thursday/Friday game days. Special event locations vary.

Ready to get involved? Fill out our volunteer application!

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