Letter from our Executive Director and Board Chair

A message from... Executive Director Shannon Schneeman

Board Chair Adam Freeman

America SCORES New York is an organization defined by Teamwork, Leadership, and Commitment. From the leadership shown by our Program Director and school leads, to the daily mentorship provided by our coaches, all of our staff, dedicated volunteers, and funding partners work together tirelessly to invest in the future of New York City.

Fiscal 2017 was a year of making new friends and incredible growth. We saw a significant expansion on the programming side on number of students served, community partners, schools, games played, poems written, and even boroughs reached! With the introduction of our first high school team, we are especially proud to now say that we offer America SCORES programs to children from Kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.

From an organizational perspective, we have continued building our energy and expertise in every way imaginable. We brought on talented new staff, expanded our Board and Junior Board, and added to an ever-impressive stable of teacher-coaches.

On the fundraising side, new foundations and corporate partners stepped up to give more NYC students the chance to better themselves on the field, in the classroom and around the community through SCORES. Meanwhile, our long-time supporters gave us the confidence to innovate while upholding the core values of America SCORES. We piloted two programs in Harlem for older students in response to the school and community needs: “One Hen Academy,” which provides financial literacy lessons for middle school students; and “Kicking it Forward,” an alumni program for high school students.

We have to give so much credit to the staff and coaches who on-boarded three entirely new elementary school programs during the year, an incredible feat in its own right, before taking into account the extra effort required to launch our two pilot programs. These special individuals are changing lives every day and don’t get enough credit for the work they do.

Lastly, we can’t say enough about how grateful we are for the schools that partner with us to create the safe space the children of NYC need to grow and thrive in this great city.

The America SCORES New York poet-athletes are the future torch holders for community and society. We are honored to be part of such an amazing community of change-makers. We will leave you with a great bit of advice from our girls in Washington Heights:

“Always be kind to your teammates and everyone, even the opposing team” - PS 173 Girls

In Community,

Shannon Schneeman Executive Director Adam Freeman Board Chair