DC SCORES

For people who believe in a well-rounded childhood, DC SCORES has the quality, team-based approach providing youth with the arts, athletics, and academics that will engage, enrich, and improve their lives. DC SCORES builds teams through after school programs by instilling self-expression, physical fitness, and a sense of community. DC SCORES accomplishes this in an innovative model combining poetry and spoken word, soccer, and service-learning year-round. We have worked with over 9,000 students since our founding in 1994 and we aim to serve EVERY child in the District deserving of a team who does not have one.

DC SCORES is one of the largest nonprofit after-school programs in the District and we are proud to host the city’s largest youth poetry slam and the only public elementary and middle school soccer leagues.  Since 1994, over 9,000 students have produced over 40,000 pieces of poetry.  Through playing soccer, DC SCORES students show significant gains in physical fitness.  Further, our students carry out service projects in their schools and neighborhood communities annually.

Over 80% of the students we reach in some of Washington, DC's most under-resourced neighborhoods receive free or reduced lunch. Faced with declining test scores in reading and writing and skyrocketing childhood obesity rates, we provide students with an enriching and fun after-school program where they can succeed both on and off the field.

Through DC SCORES, our poet-athletes write and perform poetry, work together as a team to help their community, and get physical activity each week through soccer practices and games. With our unique combination of Arts, Athletics and Academics, DC SCORES aims to make our students more engaged in school, increase their physical fitness through soccer, and increase their sense of self-worth and sense of belonging to their team, school, and community.