DC SCORES empowers youth to lead healthy lives, be engaged students, and have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world.

We were founded by a D.C. public school teacher, and we are deeply invested in the neighborhoods where we work. We have faith in the power of young people to create change through sports, the arts, and service.

Our History

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DC SCORES is founded at Marie Reed Elementary by D.C. public school teacher Julie Kennedy. Kennedy began her after-school program of soccer, poetry, and community service after noticing that girls in her class had fewer extracurricular opportunities than boys.

DC SCORES receives funding for equipment and coaching from the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) in the wake of the 1994 Men’s World Cup. U.S. Soccer stars John Harkes, Jeff Agoos, Cobi Jones, and Alexi Lalas visit D.C. and host a training clinic for DC SCORES, which is reaching 300 poet-athletes at ten schools.

DC SCORES hosts its first-ever citywide poetry slam, inaugurating a series of annual performances that have grown into the largest youth poetry events in the DMV. Note: Photo is from the 2000 Poetry Slam.

DC SCORES’ model debuts in Boston, launching the America SCORES network, which now serves more than 13,000 poet-athletes in 13 cities across North America. A large portion of expansion funding comes from U.S. Soccer as a legacy program of the 1994 Men’s World Cup.

DC SCORES hosts the first-ever SCORE Awards honoring the poet-athletes and community members who have made an outstanding contribution to their teams and neighborhoods.

The Washington Freedom and Starbucks team up with DC SCORES to promote youth poetry events in the District. The Freedom, an inaugural team in the world’s first all-professional women’s soccer league, Women’s United Soccer, hopes to use the partnership to create positive mentors for youth players in the DMV.

Jamboree, DC SCORES’ annual soccer and community festival, is held at Trinity College. The program is serving 21 schools, while the SCORES network has expanded to Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, and San Francisco.

DC SCORES hosts its first-ever Sharks vs Suits corporate soccer tournament fundraiser. The tournament will eventually be renamed SCORES Cup, an event that is held annually to this day.

Read more about the history of SCORES Cup.

DC SCORES celebrates its 10th anniversary. Numerous celebratory events are held throughout the year, including a poetry reading with iconic actor James Earl Jones at Fletcher-Johnson Education Center!

American soccer phenom Freddy Adu hosts a fundraising coaching clinic for DC SCORES at RFK Stadium. The clinic is sponsored by Audi and Condé Nast.

DC SCORES is serving 20 schools in the District. The organization splits its annual poetry slam over two nights to accommodate demand for the event.

DC SCORES launches a middle school program, significantly increasing its impact on young people in D.C. Katrina Owens, who will eventually become DC SCORES’ executive director, is hired to lead the new middle school program.

The U.S. State Department and the Academy for Educational Development host a cultural exchange between DC SCORES poet-athletes and youth coaches from Argentina.

Poet-athletes at Bancroft Elementary School are hosted by Michelle Obama at the White House. Students join the First Lady in the White House Garden to reap the autumn harvest and learn about community green spaces.

DC SCORES and the Volkswagen Group of America win the 2010 Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Youth Partnership Award. The organization is serving more than 750 poet-athletes.

Read the original blog post.

Up2Us, a national coalition of sports-based youth development organizations, invites DC SCORES to the White House for an event celebrating a state visit from Mexican President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa.

Read the original blog post.

Tubman Elementary School poet-athlete Luis accompanies President Barack Obama for the signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

Read the original blog post.

DC SCORES hosts its first-ever alumni soccer tournament.

Read the original blog post.

Bancroft Elementary School poet-athletes attend a soccer clinic hosted by U.S. soccer legend Mia Hamm.

DC SCORES and Up2Us host a youth event with professional skateboarder Tony Hawk at D.C. landmark Ben’s Chili Bowl.

Read the original blog post.

DC SCORES formalizes its partnership with the community-based adult soccer league nonprofit, District Sports. Today, District Sports donates more than $50,000 every year to DC SCORES’ programming.

Poet-athletes at Brightwood Education Campus join L.A. Galaxy stars including David Beckham and Landon Donovan for an official White House ceremony honoring the club’s MLS championship win.

Watch a video of the event’s Q&A.

In partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation, DC SCORES expands to 15 new schools.

Read the original blog post.

Representatives from Manchester City F.C. and the United Arab Emirates government join poet-athletes at Marie Reed Elementary School to celebrate the beginning of construction on a new soccer field. The new turf field was opened in the fall of 2013 at Marie Reed, the school where DC SCORES was founded in 1994.

DC SCORES caps off its summer camp with visits from players from Inter Milan and Manchester United ahead of a friendly match between the two teams at FedEx Field.

Read the original blog post.

The D.C. United Foundation’s United Soccer Club consolidates with DC SCORES to significantly enhance both organizations’ work with youth in the District. The merger created an Official Community Partnership between the MLS club and DC SCORES that continues to this day.

Learn more.

DC SCORES debuts the City Soccer League, a Wednesday gameday hosted in partnership with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. The league expands DC SCORES programs to students beyond participants in the 3rd through 8th grades.

The inaugural Our Words Our City is held at Busboys and Poets. Our Words Our City, DC SCORES’ premier youth poetry showcase, is the culmination of an enhanced poetry program for poet-athletes who are passionate about writing and performing.

View the photos.

DC SCORES wins the Center for Nonprofit Advancement’s Board Leadership and Advancement in Management awards.

Read more.

DC SCORES, D.C. United, and Enlightenment Capital host the first-ever One Night One Goal gala at Audi Field, giving attendees a first look at the new D.C. soccer stadium.

View the photos.

Nine DC SCORES alumnae are selected to represent the United States at the Street Child World Cup in Moscow, Russia. All of the girls participating play soccer with the Open Goal Project, a partner of DC SCORES that enables young people from all backgrounds to play elite travel soccer.

Read more.

DC SCORES launches the Junior SCORES program. The new program opens DC SCORES to 1st and 2nd graders, equipping them with the teamwork skills that are the foundation of the SCORES model.

DC SCORES celebrates its 25th anniversary and names professional soccer stars Johanna Lohmann and Bill Hamid as the organization’s ambassadors.

Read more.

First and second-grade poet-athletes participate in the first-ever Junior Jamboree at Audi Field.

View the photos.

DC SCORES partners with the Public Charter School Athletic Association to create a new, District-wide middle school soccer league. The expansion grows DC SCORES’ middle school league from 28 to 42 D.C. public and public charter schools.

Volkswagen donates its Women’s World Cup advertising space to America SCORES. The 30-second ad features poet-athletes from Truesdell Elementary School and is set to an original poem by DC SCORES staff member Charity Blackwell.

Watch the ad.

In celebration of DC SCORES’ 25th anniversary, Our Words Our City features performances from poet-athletes representing different stages of the organization’s history.

View the photos.

DC SCORES kicks off its SCORES At Home program with the #AtHomePoetryChallenge with Joanna Lohmann. In the wake of COVID-19 stay-at-home rules, SCORES At Home offers virtual activities and guest talks from luminaries in poetry and soccer, including writers such as Jason Reynolds and D.C.Youth Poet Laureates Marjan Naderi, MalPractice and Kenneth Carroll, and professional soccer players Bill Hamid and Staci Wilson.

DC SCORES launches an official community partnership with the Washington Spirit. The NWSL club supports SCORES At Home programming and pledges to work with DC SCORES to increase opportunities for girls across the DMV to play soccer.

Read more.

Bethesda Soccer Club and DC SCORES form an official community soccer club, cementing ties with one of the premier elite youth soccer clubs in the region.

The Washington Spirit features DC SCORES on the front of their 2022 Challenge Cup jerseys. A number of jerseys are auctioned to raise funds for DC SCORES’ soccer, poetry, and service-learning projects.

Read more.

Poet-athletes join F.C. Bayern Munich players at training at Audi Field. DC SCORES alumni Jaquan and DeAndre perform their original poetry for one of the team’s stars, Alphonso Davies.

Watch a clip.

In-person DC SCORES poetry slams return after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more.

DC SCORES’ partners Artemis Ward create an award-winning commercial for America SCORES that air’s during the Men’s World Cup. The ad features DC SCORES poet-athletes, coaches, and locations.

Watch the ad.

DC SCORES presents the inaugural Poet-Athlete Award to award-winning writer and former D1 soccer player Clint Smith. The award is presented annually to recipients who embody the ethos of DC SCORES poet-athletes.

Read more.

DC SCORES celebrates the 20th anniversary of SCORES Cup with a record-breaking fundraising tournament and exclusive commemorative jerseys.

Read more.

Poet-athletes are front and center as the All-Star Game comes to Audi Field. With D.C. United, DC SCORES is represented at community days, the All-Stars Skills Challenge, and the All-Star game against Arsenal F.C. DC SCORES receives a $25,000 check as the All-Stars’ nonprofit of choice.

Read more.

The U.S. embassies of Australia and New Zealand host a soccer and poetry-themed “sausage sizzle” at DC SCORES’ summer to honor their status as host nations of the Women’s World Cup.

Read more.

DC SCORES receives a $2 million gift from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call, the largest-ever single donation in DC SCORES’ history.

Read more.
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Celebrate Our Anniversary

30 Years of DC SCORES

DC SCORES was founded in 1994 by Julie Kennedy, a D.C. public school teacher. Since then, as a legacy of the 1994 Men’s World Cup in the United States, we have grown into an international network serving more than 13,000 poet-athletes across 13 cities in North America.

Meet Our Team

Owens

Executive Director

Hinkle

Chief Operating Officer

Stewart

Chief Program Officer

Francavilla

Chief Development Officer

Blackwell

Chief of Culture and Arts

Anderson

Associate Manager, Programs

Berner

Director of Individual Giving

Boyde

Program Coordinator

Clougherty

Director of Site Management and Evaluation

Eifrig

Associate Manager, Programs

Figueroa Ramírez

Director, Creative Writing & Arts

Granados

Program Coordinator

Granados

Program Fellow

Gross

Senior Director of Programs, Soccer and Operations

Locker

Community Engagement Manager

MacRae

Senior Director of Communications

Makris

Senior Development Director of Operations and Events

Possian

Associate Manager, Programs

Sheerin

Senior Manager, Programs

Sutton

Program Director for Leagues

Testen

Senior Development Manager, Grants

Tucker

Program Specialist, Soccer

Waugh

Multimedia Communications Manager

Wong

Development Coordinator

Katrina Owens

Executive Director

Katrina serves as the Executive Director for DC SCORES. She is a Teach for America alumna and former DC SCORES coach for Fletcher-Johnson Educational Center, where she taught for four years. A Berlin, Ohio, native, Katrina is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University and received her Master’s degree from the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. Katrina joined DC SCORES in 2006 to develop and implement the middle school program and oversaw strategic partnerships, evaluation, and program staff before moving into her role as ED.

Sean Hinkle

Chief Operating Officer

Sean Hinkle serves as Chief Operating Officer for DC SCORES where he supports and leads the administrative and operational strategy and functions of the organization. He brings more than 16 years of experience in the sport for development and out-of-school time sector to his role, having previously held positions at the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Grassroots Soccer, Ragball International, and America SCORES. Sean strongly believes in the power of teamwork to build community and has lent his expertise to numerous, global sport-for-good initiatives such as Play Proud and Switch the Pitch. Sean holds numerous professional certifications in nonprofit management and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. At UVA, he was also a four-year member and captain of the varsity men’s soccer team.

Tierra Stewart

Chief Program Officer

Tierra Stewart serves as Chief Program Officer at DC SCORES where she develops strategy, leads innovation, and is primarily responsible for the highest-quality program implementation and expansion. Tierra, a 40 under 40 Excellence in Leadership Honoree, brings 12+ years of experience in youth development, program design, community organizing, and non-profit work to DC SCORES. She is also a Transformative Justice Facilitator and Anti-Racist Political Scientist and Analyst featured in publications in over 25 countries.

As a dedicated public servant, Tierra believes society can only thrive when it has invested resources in the youth and has provided them with opportunities to realize their potential and dreams. She has engaged thousands of youth and families across D.C. and nationally in her programs, and is determined to continue to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.

Tony Francavilla

Chief Development Officer

Tony Francavilla is the Chief Development Officer at DC SCORES. He brings nearly 15 years of experience fundraising for youth-serving nonprofits in DC, including at the SEED Foundation and Life Pieces to Masterpieces. Tony spent several years as a donor, volunteer, and fanboy of DC SCORES before officially joining the team, and he can still hardly believe that an organization exists in his city that combines all the most important elements of his own childhood. He lives in Riggs Park with his wife Zabrina — whom he met playing soccer through District Sports — and their dog Dexter. He is a very proud supporter of AC Milan!

Charity Blackwell

Chief of Culture and Arts

Charity Blackwell is a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practitioner, spoken word artist, host, emcee, and poetry specialist who has spent several years contributing to the arts scene in DC and across national platforms. She is a Trinity University graduate, where she received her B.A and M.A, for Communications. She also received her certificate for Executive Leadership for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Georgetown University. She is the Chief of Culture and Arts at the arts and sports nonprofit DC SCORES and the D.O.P.E (Director of Poetry Events) at the well-renowned DC arts cultural hub, Busboys and Poets. Since her early college days, Charity’s natural stage presence and charm have led her to many hosting opportunities, including events such as the Poetry SLAMS Poetry OUT LOUD National competition, Busboys and Poets, and many more. She has performed her original work on national and international networks and platforms such as BBC News, TEDxTysons, MLB, NBA, DC UNITED, Nike, the Woman’s Sports Foundation, MLS, The Lincoln Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Hirshhorn Museum, Dock 5, and numerous others.

Brian “Mogul” Anderson

Associate Manager, Programs

Brian is an Associate Manager for Programs at DC SCORES. He originally hails from Baltimore, MD, and graduated from Baltimore City College before attending Salisbury University. He studied International Relations and Communications for his undergraduate degree and Conflict Analysis and Negotiations for his master’s. Throughout his career, he has traveled to more than 25 countries and has worked on youth sports development projects at a grassroots level, from Peace Players International in Cyprus in 2015 to government-level projects at UNESCO in Paris in 2020. His passion for youth sports brought him to DC SCORES in his Program Coordinator and data management role.

Matt Berner

Director of Individual Giving

Matt Berner is the Director of Individual Giving at DC SCORES. Matt joined DC SCORES after spending nearly a decade in ticket sales and previously worked for the NWSL clubs in Boston, New York, and most recently with the Washington Spirit. A graduate of Major League Soccer’s National Sales Center in Blaine, Minnesota, Matt brings his love of soccer and relationship building to DC SCORES. In his free time, Matt enjoys reading, camping, attending concerts, and playing soccer! He is excited to serve the soccer and poetry communities of D.C. and watch the growth of our poet-athletes!

Zarea Boyde

Program Coordinator

Zarea Boyde is a DC-based writer and aspiring educator who works closely with youth and activism groups in her community. Zarea’s passion for poetry was sparked when she joined DC SCORES aged 7 years old. She continued with DC SCORES through the organization’s enhanced writing program, Youth W.O.R.D. Project. Before moving onto her full-time role as Program Coordinator of creative writing and arts, Zarea served as one of DC SCORES’ summer camp staff members.

Klu Clougherty

Director of Site Management and Evaluation

Klu grew up playing soccer in Massachusetts and continued to play through her college club team at American University, where she earned a B.A in both Public Health and Sociology. During her undergraduate degree, she worked for a local nonprofit as a health and nutrition educator for their afterschool and summer leadership program.

In her current position, Klu oversees site management and evaluation of program data. She also holds a D license from the United States Soccer Federation and coaches soccer for a local club. She is currently pursuing an MPH at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as a Bloomberg Fellow.

Saede Eifrig

Associate Manager, Programs

As an Associate Manager for Programs for DC SCORES, Saede helps facilitate major programming events, liaises with coaches to ensure the provision of quality equipment and programming, and manages Boots From Pros: a project in partnership with Ashley Hatch of the Washington Spirit. Saede grew up playing soccer in the United States and Germany and captained the women’s soccer team at Haverford College, where she earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Arabic. She has a passion for using sport for social change, sparked by her experiences working with refugees. In her free time, she coaches youth soccer and supports the Washington Spirit. She loves engaging with the passion and hard work DC SCORES poet-athletes showcase through soccer and poetry.

Tatiana Figueroa Ramírez

Director, Creative Writing & Arts

Tatiana Figueroa Ramírez is a poet, teaching artist, host, and community organizer with extensive experience working in the non-profit and education sectors. She graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and an M.A. in Public Management with a focus on Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of Maryland. As a poet, her work has been featured in various publications and she is the author of two poetry collections. She was recently featured on MSNBC’s “Leguizamo Does America.” Tatiana currently serves as the Director, Creative Writing & Arts at DC SCORES, where she ensures poet-athletes are able to explore their poetry and performance skills to further their own self-discovery and well-being.

José Granados

Program Coordinator

José serves as an Program Coordinator at DC SCORES. He was born in California but has called Washington, DC, home since he was 3 years old. Before joining the DC SCORES office staff, José was a soccer and writing coach for the DC SCORES elementary school team at Capital City Public Charter School for more than 6 years. He is fluent in English and Spanish and is a huge soccer fan. His favorite teams are Real Madrid and D.C. United. One of his hobbies is collecting soccer jerseys. He currently has a collection of 90 shirts and is always looking to add more!

Ronald Granados

Program Fellow

Ronald is an Up2Us Fellow on the Programs team at DC SCORES. Born in California but raised in DC, Ronald is excited to support neighborhood teams across his home city through his work with SCORES. Ronald’s mother is from El Salvador and his father from Guatemala, so he is fluent in Spanish. At DC SCORES, Ronald ensures that coaches receive all the equipment they need for training, gamedays, and major events. He also serves as a coach for the Capital City Public Charter School DC SCORES elementary team. In his free time, Ronald enjoys exploring different areas of the DMV and is always looking for new recommendations for festivals and restaurants in the area.

Jason Gross

Senior Director of Programs, Soccer and Operations

Jason serves as the Senior Program Director of Soccer and Operations at DC SCORES, where he ensures high-quality programming across all program segments. He brings more than 16 years of experience as an NCAA men’s and women’s soccer coach, academy and sporting director, and educator with DC Public Schools to his role.

A native Washingtonian, Jason strongly believes in the importance of DC SCORES programming and strives to make sure that DC SCORES poet-athletes are more prepared to be successful in life as a result of their time in our program. For Jason, every day at DC SCORES is an opportunity to positively impact a life, and he can’t think of a better reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Margot Locker

Community Engagement Manager

Margot Locker is the Community Engagement Manager at DC SCORES. She has spent her career in education, most recently working at DC Public Schools central office. Margot is a DC native who is passionate about implementing holistic approaches to youth development. She is excited to engage with DC communities and partners through her work at DC SCORES!

Mairead MacRae

Senior Director of Communications

Mairead is the Senior Director of Communications at DC SCORES, where she leads content strategy for the organization’s communications platforms. Before joining DC SCORES, she held communications roles at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Master of Science in Foreign Service program, and at the international youth nonprofit Mary’s Meals. She holds a B.A. in English Literature and History from the University of Glasgow and an M.A. in African Studies from Yale University. A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Mairead is grateful for the opportunity to serve her adopted DC community through DC SCORES. In her free time, she enjoys playing recreational soccer, hiking, and trying to learn more than three chords on her guitar.

Katie Egger Makris

Senior Development Director of Operations and Events

Katie is the Senior Development Director of Operations & Events. She brings over 15 years of event and fundraising expertise as an independent consultant, and prior to that with The American Red Cross, Ford’s Theatre, and the National MS Society. Katie is passionate about building fundraising systems and event processes to create the best experiences for DC SCORES’ poet-athletes, donors, and partners. Originally from Burke, VA, she has called DC home since 2005, when she graduated from Michigan State University. She spends her free time with her husband, two sons, dog, and cat, and competes in triathlons regionally.

Josselin Possian

Associate Manager, Programs

Josselin Possian was born along the Ivory Coast of West Africa and moved to the USA in 2006. The DC SCORES alumnus started his journey at SCORES in 2007 as a poet-athlete at Lincoln Middle School, where he experienced the inaugural DC SCORES Jamboree and was a poetry slam champion. In 2012, he was among two players selected to represent the USA in the Nike The Chance Competition, playing soccer throughout Europe, including in France, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. Josselin is currently playing his third season as a professional midfielder for the Maryland Bobcats.

DC SCORES is home to him, and Josselin is grateful to be granted the opportunity to give back to youth in the community and show them that everything is possible with effort, dedication, patience, and most importantly faith.

Danny Sheerin

Senior Manager, Programs

Danny joined DC SCORES in 2019 to pursue a career he was passionate about. Prior to DC SCORES, he studied Supply Chain Management and Information Systems at Penn State University, where he played goalkeeper on the men’s soccer team. In his current role, Danny’s primary focuses are middle school programming and fostering relationships between schools and their corporate sponsors. Danny is originally from College Park, MD and loves the DC area. Danny’s favorite part of his work is being in an after-school setting with the poet-athletes and coaches, and his favorite DC SCORES events are the Fall Poetry Slams.

Will Sutton

Program Director for Leagues

Will is Program Director for Leagues at DC SCORES. He is a native of Washington, DC, and graduated from Wesley College in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business. While at Wesley, Will was recognized for his leadership on and off the soccer and was appointed captain of the men’s soccer team. Since college, Will has worked with numerous youth soccer programs and continues to play in men’s and co-ed leagues around the area. Will is in his 7th year with DC SCORES and his expertise in soccer and youth programs is what continues to drive him to be a part of the DC SCORES team.

Megan Testen

Senior Development Manager, Grants

Megan serves as the Senior Development Manager, Grants at DC SCORES where she manages the organizations grant prospecting, writing, cultivation and reporting. Megan grew up playing soccer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and has grown passionate about using sport as a tool for youth empowerment through her previous work with Goals for Girls. Megan attended George Washington University where she studied Human Services & Social Justice and received her Master’s of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management.

Keith Tucker

Program Specialist, Soccer

Keith Tucker coached his alma mater, Howard University, for 26 seasons through 2007, including taking an undefeated Bison team to the 1988 NCAA championship game and being named national coach of the year. Howard’s premier player under Tucker’s tutelage was Shaka Hislop, who played 14 seasons in the English Premier League prior to starring for Trinidad and Tobago in the 2006 World Cup. Tucker was also the head coach of the Bermuda National Team, and in 2011 decided to join DC SCORES to help enable D.C. kids to reach their full potential on and off the field.

As a former college soccer coach, Tucker knows the importance of development not just physically, but socially and academically as well. He knows the amount of untapped talent that lives in the city and works every day to help identify and develop that talent so kids can succeed at the highest levels.

With DC SCORES, Tucker also coaches the coaches, ensuring that the kids that are a part of the program get high-quality soccer training for free.

AJ Waugh

Multimedia Communications Manager

AJ Waugh is a multidisciplinary visual creative primarily focused on photography, video production, and graphic design. He serves as the Multimedia Communications Manager for DC SCORES. AJ graduated from Virginia State University with a B.A. in Mass Communications and has worked in the multimedia space since 2017. He has photographed over 100 concerts and live events, with works featured in the Black Box Gallery. He has also produced videos, graphics, and virtual events for local businesses, nonprofits, and the Combined Federal Campaign. DC SCORES gives AJ the opportunity to bring together his passions for sports, media, and youth empowerment

Jane Wong

Development Coordinator

Jane Wong is a passionate changemaker and Development Coordinator, Community Engagement and Operations, at DC SCORES. Before joining the team full-time, she worked as a programs specialist and communications & development intern for DC SCORES. They are currently an Honor student at the University of Maryland, College Park, studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and pursuing a minor in Nonprofit Leadership and Social Innovation. Jane believes in the power of collective action and is excited to further her involvement with the DC SCORES community.

Board and Advisory

  • Board
  • Advisory Council
  • Board Emeritus Council

Our board team is made up of impactful leaders boasting a diverse range of expertise, from sports and the arts to business and the non-profit sector.  

The Advisory Council is a group of young professionals dedicated to serving and supporting DC SCORES.

The Board Emeritus Council is a group of highly-esteemed former Board members who convene regularly to provide guidance and wisdom on important strategic issues facing DC SCORES.

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Takita Battle

Secretary, BoardSource

Coaches' Stories

DC SCORES coaches are child development professionals leading our program at the community level. All coaches are paid for their time in the program and the vast majority of are recruited from staff in the schools where they coach, providing continuity from the school day to after-school programming and community-building.

Trophy Cabinet

We are proud to be an award-winning youth development nonprofit serving communities across D.C. Here is just some of the silverware we’ve picked up in the last decade or so!

2024

DC SCORES won $2million gift from Mackenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Fund, which granted awards to organizations working with people and in places experiencing the greatest needs in the United States.

2023

DC SCORES won a National Endowment for the Arts Award, which provides expansive funding opportunities to strengthen the nation’s arts and cultural ecosystem.
Partners Artemis Ward won a 2023 Silver Regional ADDY Award for an America SCORES FIFA World Cup commercial featuring DC SCORES poet-athletes and coaches.

2022

America SCORES won the 2022 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award, which recognizes organizations that use sports to make communities healthier and more equitable places to live, learn, work, and play.
DC SCORES won the 2022 Community Impact Award by the Positive Coaching Alliance, an organization that is dedicated to ensuring that every child experiences a positive youth sports experience.
America SCORES received the 2022 Sports Business Journal Celebration of Service Award, which honors organizations that have led the way in exemplifying how sport is a catalyst for social change.

2019

DC SCORES listed as a Top Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofit.
America SCORES won a 2019 W³ Award Silver for a FIFA Women’s World Cup commercial featuring DC SCORES poet-athletes and coaches.
DC SCORES won the Award for Excellence in Arts Education at the 34th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards.
DC SCORES won the DC PCSB Best Practice Award for Community Influence by the D.C. Public Charter School Board.
DC SCORES won the 2019 President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Community Leadership Award, which celebrates leaders who are building more vibrant and thriving communities through sports, physical activity, fitness, and nutrition-related programs.

2018

DC SCORES Executive Director Bethany Rubin Henderson named an EXCEL Award winner (Excellence in Chief Executive Leadership) by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement.
DC SCORES was the 2018 honoree for the Library of Congress Literacy Award for Best Practices given to organizations that have made outstanding contributions to increasing literacy in the United States or abroad.

2017

Executive Director Bethany Rubin Henderson named an Executive Director of the Year by the Washington Business Journal.

2016

2015

DC SCORES was one of 10 organizations chosen for a Raise DC Data Spotlight Award.
The D.C. Council presented a Recognition Resolution to DC SCORES at City Hall in observance of our longstanding impact in Washington, D.C.

2014

DC SCORES was a finalist for the Mayor’s Arts Awards in the “Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education” category.