America Scores Cleveland

AMERICA SCORES CLEVELAND INSPIRES URBAN YOUTH TO LEAD HEALTHY LIVES, BE ENGAGED STUDENTS, AND HAVE THE CONFIDENCE AND CHARACTER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

CORE SOCCER PROGRAMMING FOR GRADES 3-5 POET-ATHLETES (STUDENTS FROM PARTNERING CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOLS) MEET WITH THEIR SOCCER COACHES FOR SOCCER PRACTICES AND GAMES DURING AFTERSCHOOL HOURS TWO DAYS PER WEEK FOR 22 WEEKS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, UTILIZING THE AMERICA SCORES SOCCER CURRICULUM. THIS CURRICULUM EMPHASIZES CHARACTER-BUILDING SKILLS SUCH AS LEADERSHIP, TEAMWORK AND COMMITMENT, DAILY LESSONS END WITH DISCUSSION PROMOTING HEALTHY BEHAVIORS, SELF-ESTEEM, GOAL SETTING AND SCHOOL STEWARDSHIP. POET-ATHLETES PLAY GAMES BETWEEN AMERICA SCORES SCHOOLS AT SCHOOL SITES AND OTHER COMMUNITY LOCATIONS ONCE PER WEEK. PROGRAM YEARS BEGIN AND END WITH COMMUNITY SOCCER EVENTS. DURING FY23, 429 STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-5 PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE 22 WEEKS. 82% OF PARTICIPANTS IMPROVED ON THE PACER TEST IN THE NUMBER OF SHUTTLES RUN FROM THEIR PRE- TO POST-ASSESSMENT. 90% OF PARTICIPANTS STATED THAT THE SCORES PROGRAM HELPS INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTHIER BEHAVIORS AND ACTIVITIES.

CORE WRITING PROGRAMMING FOR GRADES 3-5 POET-ATHLETES (STUDENTS FROM PARTNERING CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOLS) MEET WITH THEIR WRITING COACHES FOR CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS DURING AFTERSCHOOL HOURS TWO DAYS PER WEEK FOR 22 WEEKS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. IN THE FALL, POET-ATHLETES ARE ENGAGED IN THE "POWER OF POETRY" CURRICULUM. THE FALL SEASON ENDS WITH A POETRY SLAM. THE SPRING WRITING CURRICULUM, "WRITING FOR THE COMMUNITY", FOCUSES ON SERVICE-LEARNING, WHERE POET- ATHLETES SELECT A COMMUNITY ISSUE AND THEN WORK AS A TEAM TO IMPLEMENT A SERVICE PROJECT. THE SPRING SEASON ENDS WITH A PRESENTATION OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS. DURING FY23, 429 STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-5 PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE 22 WEEKS. 72% OF PARTICIPANTS MAINTAINED OR SHOWED IMPROVED ON THE 6+1 TRAIT WRITING ASSESSMENT FROM PRE TO POST TEST. 93% OF COACHES SURVEYED, AGREED THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR LANGUAGE ARTS SKILLS; 87% OF PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT THE SCORES PROGRAM HELPED THEM BECOME COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT WHEN SPEAKING IN FRONT OF GROUPS OF PEOPLE; 92% OF CAREGIVERS/PARENTS AGREED THAT BECAUSE OF THE SCORES PROGRAM THEIR CHILD'S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IMPROVED SINCE JOINING AMERICA SCORES. 260 CAREGIVERS ATTENDED THE POETRY SLAM.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING INCLUDED JR. SCORES FOR GRADES 1-2 IN 14 SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR GRADES 6TH-8TH IN 5 SCHOOLS. PRACTICES RANGED FROM 60-120 MINUTES AND WERE OFFERED FOUR DAYS PER WEEK (2 DAYS WRITING/LITERACY, 2 DAYS SOCCER). SCORES HOSTED A WINTER PROGRAM IN 1 SCHOOL FOR GRADES 3-5 AND IN THE SPRING OFFERED A SOCCER PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITHIN 5 CITY OF CLEVELAND RECREATION AND RESOURCE CENTERS. SUMMER PROGRAMMING WAS HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VARIOUS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, THE CMSD SUMMER LEARNING EXPERIENCE, AND THE CITY OF CLEVELAND RECREATION CENTERS IN THE CLEVELAND AREA OVER A FIVE TO TEN-WEEK PERIOD. DURING FY23, APPROXIMATELY 250 STUDENTS WERE ENGAGED IN JR. SCORES FOR AT LEAST ONE DAY OF PROGRAMMING. 84% OF JR. SCORES PARTICIPANTS IMPROVED OR MAINTAINED THE NUMBERS RECOGNIZED ON THEIR DOLCH SIGHT WORD PRE- AND POST- ASSESSMENTS. APPROXIMATELY 100 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE ENGAGED IN AT LEAST ONE DAY OF SOCCER, WRITING AND/OR SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAMMING. 93% OF 6TH-8TH PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT THE SCORES PROGRAM HELPED GROW THEIR CONFIDENCE AND92% OF CAREGIVERS AGREED THAT THEIR CHILD SPENDS MORE TIME READING OR WRITING SINCE BEING PART OF SCORES. SCORES SERVED 1,583 1ST-8TH YOUTH THROUGH VARIOUS EXTENSION PROGRAMS INCLUDING WINTER, SUMMER CAMPS, AND SCHOOL-DAY PROGRAMS. AMERICA SCORES SERVED A TOTAL OF 2,362 CLEVELAND YOUTH DURING FY23.