Overview

Meet our littlest! Junior Scores equips students in K-2 with skills that will help them succeed on and off the field. This innovative curriculum aims to foster students’ social and emotional skills through the game of soccer and an early literacy program called “Playing with Words”. 

Junior Scores

How It Works

While still early in their school career, Junior Scores students learn essential life skills through our signature program model of blending soccer and enrichment. Students meet in the afternoon 3 days a week for 45 minutes of soccer practice and 45 minutes of enrichment.

Three equally important elements shape the program:

  • Soccer: On three days a week, students come together on the soccer field to gain basic soccer skills. Lessons include exercises around ball control, dribbling, and passing.
  • Literacy: After their practice, students transition to the classroom to dive into a world of children’s books. All books center around four core social-emotional skills:
    • self-awareness
    • self-management
    • relationship skills, and
    • decision-making
  • Mentorship: Scores coach-mentors skillfully connect lessons from the soccer field and from the classroom to help participants become confident teammates who make responsible decisions for themselves and others. 

Good social competence can help children adapt better to the school environment and achieve more in school. Likewise, research has shown that early literacy skills are strongly associated with academic achievement.

Our Results

This program is our latest addition and we have not gathered enough data to report out yet. If you are interested in our overall student impact, please visit our impact page.

How to Join as a Student

The Junior Scores program currently operates at two schools and is open and free to students at Boston Public Schools. Find out here whether your school takes part and reach out to Program Director Ivelisse Mendoza at ivelisse@bostonscores.org if you have any questions.

Junior Scores girl

Curious?

Find out more about  volunteer opportunities or support Boston Scores with a donation!

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