US will be at World Cup in Russia – giving a voice to 4 million youth
NN4Y Team USA to Street Child World Cup 2018 from Darla Bardine on Vimeo.
Life-changing experience awaits nine DC teens
Washington, DC — We’re going to the World Cup in Moscow! That’s right — while the U.S. Men’s National Team will not be in Russia, a special group of young women is set to represent the United States at the Street Child World Cup in Russia this May, and make a difference in doing so. The Street Child World Cup is a soccer tournament and a child rights conference for young people from across the world who are at-risk of or have faced homelessness.
According to a recent study, more than 4 million young people in America face homelessness on their own. Team USA’s participation is made possible by the National Network for Youth, in collaboration with America SCORES and Open Goal Project.
The young women, ages 14-17, will don the red, white and blue in Moscow May 10-18. They will join more than 450 young people representing 24 countries. What makes their journeys especially riveting is that each of them has experienced or been at-risk of homelessness in Washington, DC, and each has overcome the many obstacles they and their families face. Team USA will not only represent our country on the soccer field, they also will use the platform of the Street Child World Cup to give a voice to the urgency that young people at-risk of or experiencing homelessness face across the U.S.
It will be a memorable, powerful, and undoubtedly life-changing experience. Please support Team USA Girls and learn more by visiting www.nn4youth.org/engage/teamusa2018.
Becky Sauerbrunn, US women’s national team, FIFA World Cup winner, and Olympic gold medalist is proud to be an ambassador of Team USA and said: “I’m honored to support Team USA girls at the Street Child World Cup 2018. They will proudly represent our nation, harnessing their love of soccer to raise awareness and dialogue for US youth at risk of homelessness. Their voices matter. Congratulations to America SCORES and the National Network for Youth for partnering to give these girls the platform they truly deserve.”
Darla Bardine, Executive Director of the National Network for Youth: “We are honored to take Team USA to the Street Child World Cup to give these incredible young women a platform to elevate the urgent and unique needs of young people at-risk of and experiencing homelessness here in America. No young person should be homeless and hungry."
America SCORES Executive Director Bethany Rubin Henderson: “This is truly an incredible opportunity for these nine young women and a testament to America SCORES’ mission to give kids a voice and empower them to be leaders in their communities. We are grateful to the National Network for Youth and Street Child United for making this a reality and to Open Goal Project for coaching Team USA.”
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About Street Child World Cup (SCWC):
Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the Street Child World Cup is a soccer tournament, festival of arts, and a conference for the rights of children at risk of homelessness across the world. On the pitch both over 230 girls and boys, will represent 24 national teams and play to change the negative perceptions and treatment of homeless youth everywhere. Off the pitch, their voices will be heard, calling for the rights of millions of children at risk worldwide. In 2018, the Street Child World Cup will take place 10-18 May, in Moscow, Russia.
“I know from personal experience just what power soccer can have to inspire and change young people’s lives whatever their background or nationality,” David Beckham said. “This is what the Street Child World Cup is all about and I give it my full support.”
About National Network for Youth (NN4Y):
The National Network for Youth has been a public education and policy advocacy organization dedicated to the prevention and eradication of youth homelessness in America for over 40 years. As the largest and most diverse network of its kind, NN4Y mobilizes over 300 members and affiliates — organizations that work on the front lines every day to provide prevention services and respond to runaways and youth experiencing homelessness and human trafficking. Learn more at www.nn4youth.org.
About America SCORES:
A national nonprofit organization, America SCORES partners with public schools in low-income communities to provide a high-quality, award-winning after-school program to elementary and middle school youth. Integrating soccer, poetry and service-learning, our innovative approach improves at-risk students’ health, academic achievement and civic engagement by focusing on teamwork, creativity, literacy, school engagement and leadership. Our mission is to inspire urban youth to lead healthy lives, be engaged students, and have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world. Learn more at www.americascores.org.
About Open Goal Project:
Through financial and logistical support, Open Goal Project is a Washington, DC, non-profit that identifies and aides talented youth soccer players from low-income families to overcome costs and lack of resources to make the most of their potential on and off the field. Since launching in 2015, Open Goal has helped register more than a dozen local players for travel soccer teams, has covered registration and costs for numerous players to attend summer and ID camps and provided free clinics and high-level training for dozens of youth players in DC. The Open Goal Project is a fiscally sponsored project of DC SCORES, a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization.
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