New England SCORES
This article was written by Chris Lynch, Youth Sports Coordinator, Boston Youth Sports Initiative and appeared as a feature called “Networking It” in the first edition of BYSI's newsletter.
Collaboration between two youth sport programs and a youth theatre company:
During the academic year, New England SCORES http://www.americascores.org/index.php?id=188 is a youth development program offering after-school creative writing and soccer activities for 3rd-5th grade students in Boston public schools. Kathy Fitzgerald, Executive Director of New England SCORES, was looking to expand the program to the summer: “We had a group of kids who really needed good summer programming, who were motivated and used to doing fun and challenging activities with us,” Fitzgerald said. Seeking to expand the themes and skills stressed during the year into a four week camp, Fitzgerald sought a partner that would have a similar mission and focus to their own.
She found this partner in Boston Children’s Theatre (BCT) http://www.bostonchildrenstheatre.org/. Not only did the theatrical aspect of BCT tie into the literacy done during the year, there was a deeper tie – a common goal of having kids work together. Fitzgerald explains their relationship: “We have a real emphasis on teamwork in SCORES, and we wanted to collaborate with a program that had the same mission. Children’s Theatre was a great match – they focus on teamwork. Their ‘ensemble’ approach to theatre involved everyone in a variety of roles, and reinforced the work we were doing on the field and in the classroom. Even in the planning sessions staff from both SCORES and BCT were involved.” The partnership made the summer program a hit for the kids. They improved their soccer skills through drills, practices and games. They also rounded out their literacy and theatrical skills by working together on skit writing, stage craft, music and dance. The curriculum – designed by both New England SCORES and Boston Children’s Theatre ensured the kids had a meaningful experience.
As the camp evolved, New England SCORES looked to involve youth from CityKicks, an after school program for middle school girls, who also did not have access to soccer and enrichment activities during the summer. This guaranteed that there was an even higher participation in the program.
Now, with three years of summer programming under her belt, Fitzgerald talks about the benefits of networking - “Working with Boston Children’s Theater and CityKicks made us see that we can work with other organizations to model teamwork for the kids---and create even more far-reaching and exciting programs for youth in the process!”