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| America SCORES | |
|---|---|
| Name | America SCORES |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Not provided |
| Headquarters | Not provided |
| Services | After-school youth development, poetry, soccer |
| Website | Not provided |
America SCORES is a U.S.-based youth development nonprofit combining soccer and creative writing to engage elementary and middle school students in urban communities. Founded in the mid-1990s, the organization operates seasonal after-school programs that integrate athletics and literary arts to promote social-emotional learning, physical activity, and academic enrichment. SCORES programs run in public and charter schools across multiple cities and partner with municipal agencies, philanthropic foundations, and professional sports franchises.
America SCORES began amid a 1990s surge in community-based youth programs influenced by initiatives such as After-School All-Stars, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and local recreation efforts in cities like New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. Early models drew on precedents from organizations including YMCA, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps alumni who emphasized civic engagement and arts integration following trends set by City Year and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Expansion paralleled municipal investments exemplified by programs in Los Angeles and policy conversations in Washington, D.C. involving leaders such as Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton who advocated for after-school funding. Philanthropic support mirrored strategies used by entities like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, while evaluation frameworks referenced research from institutions including Harvard University, Columbia University, and Johns Hopkins University.
The curriculum combines team-based soccer coached after models used by Major League Soccer academies and creative writing workshops influenced by organizations such as 826 National and educators connected to Teachers College, Columbia University. Weekly programming features training protocols comparable to youth soccer clubs like FC Barcelona Youth Academy and literary pedagogy resonant with approaches from Poetry Foundation initiatives and arts organizations such as National Writing Project. Components include fitness drills informed by research from American College of Sports Medicine practices, social-emotional curricula related to frameworks from CASEL affiliates, and assessment tools similar to those used by National Assessment of Educational Progress researchers. Site implementation often aligns with school schedules in districts like Chicago Public Schools and New York City Department of Education, and uses volunteer recruitment strategies reminiscent of VolunteerMatch and AmeriCorps service placements.
Program evaluations reference metrics used by organizations such as Child Trends, Urban Institute, and research centers at Harvard Graduate School of Education to measure outcomes in attendance, behavior, and literacy. Reported impacts cite improvements analogous to findings in studies by RAND Corporation and Pew Research Center on extracurricular participation. Outcomes highlighted in program literature mirror indicators tracked by U.S. Department of Education initiatives and nonprofit evaluators like GreatNonprofits and GuideStar. Alumni trajectories intersect with pathways documented by workforce and higher-education research from Brookings Institution, Carnegie Foundation, and American Institutes for Research, with many participants pursuing secondary education in systems such as State University of New York campuses and California State University campuses.
The organizational model follows nonprofit governance norms similar to entities like The Rockefeller Foundation-backed programs and boards structured like those at United Way. Funding streams typically combine local education agency contracts akin to agreements in San Francisco Unified School District, foundation grants from institutions such as MacArthur Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation, corporate partnerships like those seen with Nike, Inc. and Adidas, and fundraising approaches practiced by national charities such as Save the Children and Feeding America. Administrative leadership often collaborates with civic leaders from cities including Seattle, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, and financial oversight mirrors best practices promoted by Council on Foundations and Independent Sector.
SCORES maintains partnerships with professional sports teams and leagues in the spirit of collaborations between National Basketball Association teams and community programs, as well as alliances comparable to Major League Baseball youth initiatives. Educational collaborations resemble joint ventures with institutions like Columbia University Teachers College, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and district offices such as Los Angeles Unified School District. Arts partnerships bring together models akin to Poetry Out Loud and National Endowment for the Arts-funded projects, while corporate sponsorship strategies parallel those employed by Google.org and Bank of America philanthropic programs. Community alliances operate alongside civic entities such as New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, Chicago Park District, and state-level agencies.
Alumni recognition follows patterns of civic and cultural acknowledgement seen in honorees from programs associated with Presidential Volunteer Service Award winners and fellows tied to CorpsNetwork initiatives. Notable participants have advanced into realms similar to professional sports pathways like National Women's Soccer League players, arts careers comparable to Lincoln Center performers, education leadership aligned with alumni from Teach For America, and civic roles reminiscent of staff in offices such as Mayor of New York City and Office of the Governor (California). Organizational awards and media coverage have reflected attention similar to profiles in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and recognition channels like Fast Company and Forbes lists.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States