New York

Three main things set us apart from other after-school programs:

1) We are the only after-school provider to combine soccer, poetry, and service learning into one comprehensive program that emphasizes physical activity and health, creative expression and literacy, and civic engagement. This interconnectedness between seemingly disparate activities inspires our coaches and participants to try new things and make connections between the field, the classroom, and the community.

2) By training teachers from the schools as soccer, poetry, and service learning coaches, we support the effectiveness of public school educators while also building teacher-student relationships during out-of-school time. Because they are already strong members of the school community, our coaches become role models for their students on and off the field, while also participating in unique professional development opportunities that enhance their skill sets in the classroom.

3) Our strict adherence to evaluation standards sets us apart from other organizations. This begins with a focus on quality inputs in the form of curricula that connect to nationally recognized standards, high quality training, and mandated program standards. The pre- and post-program tests and surveys described earlier give us the information to assess our effectiveness and make changes to continue to provide high quality programming.