Seattle

In 1994, a public school teacher in Washington, D.C. 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 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 literary arts component to the sports program because, much like sports, literary arts involves self-expression, group support, and public performance.

Within the next several years, America SCORES expanded upon this innovative model and brought it to more than 6,000 youth in urban public school districts serving 14 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

Local History

America SCORES Seattle, founded by Don Horowitz, began in 2002. This year, we serve:

• 160 children in
• 5 of Seattle’s highest-need elementary schools and
• Students will participate in 16 weeks of soccer, poetry and community service.