Poet-Athlete City
For 30 years, DC SCORES has been empowering generations of young people through soccer, poetry, and service. Now, we are making a bold promise for the future of the District.
We already serve 70% of Title 1 middle and elementary schools in D.C. — by 2030 we want to be in all of them. Help us reach the kids who need us most. Join us in building Poet-Athlete City.
Our Promise
DC SCORES was born in the District. For 30 years, we’ve been helping young people build strong, supportive local communities through our award-winning after-school soccer, poetry, and service programs.
Now, as we look to our future, we are making a bold promise to D.C.’s youth: to transform the District into Poet-Athlete City. That means building a city where young people have the opportunity to thrive on the field, at the mic, and in their neighborhoods. It means standing up for the local families who are the backbone of our city. It means empowering the next generation of poet-athletes to be confident, resilient leaders.
Our vision for Poet-Athlete City is to reach the young people who need us most. We currently serve 70% of Title 1 middle and elementary schools in the District — by 2030, we want to be in all of them. To lay this foundation, we need to raise $100,000 by the end of this year. Will you help build Poet-Athlete City by giving today?
Poet-Athlete City Stories
Aspen McNair Sr. and Aspen McNair Jr.
“Being part of an organization that really cares about D.C. is a dream come true...DC SCORES makes everything affordable and free for the kids.”
– Aspen McNair Sr., DC SCORES Alumnus, Coach, and Parent
Darwin Espinal and Josselin Possian
“One of the main things that DC SCORES did for me was keeping me out of trouble and off the streets. Soccer was almost a plus.”
– Darwin Espinal, DC SCORES Alumnus and Professional Soccer Player
Shay and Shanice Blanchard
“There’s a lot going on in D.C., specifically, and in the world. DC SCORES helps kids share what’s going on around them, to take a stand, to be themselves.”
– Shanice Blanchard, DC SCORES Coach
Why Poet-Athlete City?
Our vision of growth prioritizes Title 1 middle and elementary schools. Schools identified as Title 1 serve a greater proportion of kids from under-resourced communities and often have fewer, if any, accessible out-of-school-time (OST) programs. By focusing on Title 1 elementary and middle school pipelines, Poet-Athlete City will reach the kids who need DC SCORES most and provide them with 8 years of sustained, high-quality OST programming.
DC SCORES empowers kids to build community, connect with mentors, and find sanctuary from the growing risks that many of our young people face. After school is when students are most vulnerable to violence, and DC SCORES offers kids a safe, structured, and joyful alternative. At DC SCORES, 98% of our poet-athletes report feeling safe in our program, while 97% reported feeling more confident after a season of DC SCORES.
We serve our young people 5 days a week, helping them to connect with their school, learn new skills in a supportive, youth-centered environment, and develop a strong poet-athlete identity. DC SCORES gives young people a sense of belonging and self-worth, and builds a community that supports young people well into adulthood. Poet-Athlete City is an investment in the future of the District, and we hope you will join us in building that future, together.
Support Our Work
To lay the foundation for Poet-Athlete City, our goal is to raise $100,000 by the end of the year. A gift of any amount will help us reach our target and ensure our programs reach the young people who need us most.