Poem of the week!

My Dove

My life is surrounded
by great peers and teachers.
My parents are my fans, cheering from the bleachers.
When I'm in the spotlight
It's like nobody's here.
I'll have so much success by the end of the year.
I'm cool, you're not.
I'm extreme, I rock.
I'm fresh like a brand new minty pack of gum.
I'm hot like a chili on your tongue.

Team Poem by Cesar Chavez Public Charter Middle School (DC)

Want "Clifford the Dog" to visit your program?

Special Opportunity from the Scholastic After School Learning Program!

Scholastic After School Learning is sponsoring a sweepstakes as part of the "Clifford BE BIG" program.

Enter here by April 15th for a chance to win a visit from Clifford the Big Red Dog at your program.

"BE BIG" is a national campaign that invites everyone, big and small, to take action and raise awareness for how to make the world a better place. Hoping to provide opportunities and inspiration to transform communities, the "BE BIG" campaign encourages having a "BIG spirit" and sharing, recognizing and rewarding "BIG ideas." For more information about "BE BIG," click here.

Poem of the week!

I Don't Know

I don't know why dogs know how to cross the street.
I don't know why people throw trash out of their cars.
I don't know why some kids don't like soccer.
I don't know why people like to do things that are bad for them.
I don't know why people drive too fast in the street.

Ceasar 0., age 8.

Affiliate News Digest

Bay Area: Bay Area is listed as a participating charity in the San Francisco Marathon! See their profile here.

Chicago: The inaugural winter season of Junior SCORES is finishing up with a game day. Starting this year with K-2 programs in two schools, the program has been very successful. Photos coming soon!

Cleveland: Cleveland's Spring SCORES Cup is coming up on March 13, where teams from 9 businesses and law firms will compete under the dome at Cleveland State University's Krenzler Field. An exciting addition to this day of soccer, Cleveland's two winning poets will perform their poems for the teams.

DC: DC recently completed a comprehensive outcomes evaluation, which shows the impact of the program on students' school engagement and physical fitness. The report was compiled after DC partnered with Symphonic Strategies, an independent consulting firm, last spring to assess the program's effectiveness over a 12-week period. The full evaluation as well as the press release can be found under the Resource Center portion of DC's website.

Denver:
As Denver prepares for its April 29th Inspired Art event, they have been keeping the blog updated with artist bios, interviews, and previews of the art. Enrollment for artists closes March 15th, and it looks like its going to be an exciting event! Tickets on sale here.

New England:
New England introduces 2 new programs, the SCORES Mentorship Program and the SCORES Alumni Program. The mentorship program provides poet-athletes with a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a college student or professional in the Boston Community. The alumni program facilitates meetings between 28 SCORES alumni that are now in high school. They meet to talk about their futures, go on college tours, and receive college counseling and other advice. More details on their blog.

New York:
New York welcomes Arway Boker, their new Coach Across America member. During her first week, Arway helped lead a very successful winter camp. The New York team trained their soccer coaches last week and will train service-learning coaches today. The entire New York team is looking forward to a great spring season!

Seattle:
This summer, the Seattle Sounders FC is hosting a SCORES Cup for Pacific Northwest corporations to raise money for Seattle. The three-part event gives corporate employees a taste of the professional soccer life, and includes a party with the Sounders, qualifiers, and the championship match on Xbox Pitch @ Qwest Field. Click here for more information.

Poem of the week!

My Teachers

My teachers are the people who have helped me
Throughout English language arts, math, science and more.
They have showed me a lot of things,
I've learned from them a lot.
Sometimes they get on your nerves but they can be cool once you pay attention.

By Jaime S., age 9.

2010 National Poetry SLAM! Tickets available NOW!!

On April 19, 2010, join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our poet-athletes from around the country at our Fourth Annual National Poetry SLAM! Out of more than 4,500 elementary school students across the country, two poet-athletes from each of our thirteen affiliate cities will be selected to come to New York City with their families and perform their poetry at the New York Stock Exchange. It is a unique evening full of fun, learning, humor, and inspiration. This year the Poetry SLAM! will honor Sunil Gulati, the President of the US Soccer Federation.


For tickets or sponsorship opportunities, click here.

Click here for our "What is Poetry?" video from last year's National Poetry SLAM!

Poem of the week!

My Love

My love is like a big heart hugging me.
It runs and swims through all people.
It reminds me of a time when I was a small, cute baby.
It makes me feel like a heart full of warmth.
I want to give some love to the world.

Deja H., age 8.