Mattel Day of Play

Wednesday, December 8th, toy company and long-time America SCORES LA supporter, Mattel, hosted a very special and exciting event for all SCORES poet-athletes called the Day of Play. This event, held at Charnock Elementary, included a cupcake decorating booth, a Hot Wheels race track, dress up picture booths, a dj with a dance floor, and snow -- on which the kids could sled or make snowmen! Throughout the day, Santa was walking about, handing out candy canes and taking pictures with kids.


At the end of the event, Mattel gave every participant a wrapped gift and presented a check to executive director David Joseph. This was an unforgettable experience for the kids, most of whom have never in their lives seen snow. ASLA would like to thank Mattel for everything they have done!

ASCAP Residency Part II: Braddock

Last month, kids at Charnock got to work with grammy-winning artist Claudia Brant to write an original song and record it in a professional studio. This week, ASCAP sent song-writing duo Da Internz to Braddock Elementary for a similar workshop.


Last Thursday, Da Internz came to Braddock to talk about songs, and what the kids wanted to talk about in their own song. After deciding to write a song about making money, the kids wrote down different ideas to go into the song.

Over the weekend, Da Internz put the lyrics together and created beat for it, so that on Monday everyone could practice singing it together. After learning their song, the kids were excited to travel to the studio and record it.










Yesterday, the students boarded the bus to go to the Song Writing School of Los Angeles, a recording studio in Burbank. Da Internz split everyone up into smaller groups to go in and sing their parts.

The kids had an amazing time, while learning how much work goes into the creation of a single song. Now they cannot wait to hear their single.


Da Internz are a song-writing duo from Chicago who currently reside in Los Angeles. They have worked with other SCORES sites in the past, and were excited to bring their workshop to a local school. They have worked with artists such as Greyson Chance, Mims, John Legend, Jesse McCartney, August Rigo, and Justin Bieber. Here are the lyrics to the song they wrote with the kids:

If I had one chance I would take that chance
Grab the whole wide world, put it in my hands. Hey, hey
Gonna make good grades, graduate from school
Get a real job and a house with a pool. Hey, hey

It's what I gotta do to live my dreams
If I want to have everything.

I gotta make money, money, money, money
I gotta make money, money, money, money

I gotta work hard, aim for the stars, they're not that far.

One Pass at a Time Challenge

Meet 10,000 New Friends Nationally Before 2011

Since America SCORES launched in 1999, they have tirelessly worked to create an after school program that helps kids in under-resourced communities become better poets, athletes, and more importantly, people. Today, their program helps close to 6,000 students in 15 cities improve their health, become stronger writers, and increase their school engagement.

However, they still face a challenge:

In most of their cities, only their supporters know who they are and the difference they are making in the communities they serve.

This Holiday Season, every America SCORES city is working together to try something they have never done before. They are asking us, their supporters, to help share their story to 10,000 new friends and invite them to join the America SCORES family.

The Challenge is Simple:

Ask 10,000 new friends to donate $10 to the organization before January 2011.

Here is how you can help –

1. Click here to join our America SCORES team

2. Donate $10

3. Copy and paste this email and send it to ten of your family/friends/colleagues

4. Ask them to donate $10 and forward this email to ten people they know

***Send this email to anyone who likes soccer, poetry, community leadership… or just wants to help support children in under-resourced communities***

5. Our goal is to introduce 10,000 new friends to the organization by Jan. 1^st

Some Questions You May Have:

Why $10?

Anyone can sign up for a newsletter. However, the act of donating signifies a stronger commitment to stay involved.

Where Can I find More Information about America SCORES?

Click here to watch the PSA

Click here to read more about them

How Will My Donation Be Used?

Every dollar donated will go directly to the city you are supporting to support the children in that program.

How Long Will it Take Me to Sign Up and Send Out an Email?

The entire process will take 5 minutes (…at the most).

Why Is It Important to Have People Know Who They Are?

America SCORES is committed to growing and making the program accessible to as many kids around the country as possible. In order to do that, they need to increase their number of supporters. The best way to do that is by us introducing them to people we know who care about the children in our communities.

Will I receive additional emails if I donate?

You will have the option not to be contacted ever again, but I hope you don’t make that decision.

Thank you for joining me in this mission. Together, we can help put this great organization on the map in a much bigger way!

Night of the Rapping Dead

Watch and listen to Night of the Rapping Dead, written and performed by Claudia Brant and the kids of Charnock Elementary!

Old Faces in New Roles

Last month, SCORES programming officially started at all four schools, and with that came Game Day. Every Friday, SCORES students from the three elementary schools meet at the park to play organized soccer games against each other. It has been exciting for us to see the kids putting the skills they learn each day to the test.

Game Day has become a community event, from parents and family members coming to watch games to SCORES alumni coming to visit their old coaches and cheer on new players. One of the highlights of Game Day has been seeing Middle School and High School alumni in attendance taking on the meaningful role of assistant coaches and referees -- illustrating that their involvement in SCORES Game Day doesn't have to end when they finish elementary school.

ASCAP Residency @ America SCORES

Through a national partnership with ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), SCORES poet-athletes across the country are getting the chance to work with a noted song-writer to write an original song and sing it at a recording studio.

Last week, fourth and fifth graders at Charnock Elementary worked with song-writer Claudia Brant to write and record their own song. Claudia showed up on Wednesday to teach the kids about the structure of a song and the process that goes into writing one. Then the kids voted on a subject, title, and genre for their song. At the end of the day, they agreed to write a pop song about zombies entitled "Night of the Rapping Dead".


The following day, Claudia returned with her guitar and spent a two-hour session helping the kids write verses, a chorus and even a short rap for their song. Both Claudia and the kids showed enthusiasm while writing the song, and were excited with what they had come up with. After assigning parts and running through the song a few times, they were ready to record.











Yesterday after school, the kids took a bus to a recording studio in West Los Angeles to record their new song. Over the weekend, Claudia had created a music track, and sang over it so the kids could get a feel for what their song would sound like once finished. They split up into their groups and took turns recording their own respective parts, with Claudia's four year-old daughter Nina joining in with one of the girls groups. Even though it was a long day, the poet-athletes worked hard and stayed focused to make sure each part was perfect. At the end of the day, they heard a rough cut of what they had just accomplished and couldn't be more proud. Now they can't wait to receive a copy of the cd!

Claudia Brant has worked with a number of well-known artists from Carlos Santana to Kenny G. In 2009 she won a Latin Grammy for a song she co-wrote called "Aqui Estoy Yo", which was awarded "Song of the Year". America SCORES LA would like to thank Claudia and ASCAP for everything they have done for us!

At the end of the month, Toby Gad, another ASCAP artist will lead a similar program at Braddock Elementary.

To listen to songs from last year's ASCAP Residency, CLICK HERE. And to read the lyrics for "Night of the Rapping Dead", scroll down.



Night of the Rapping Dead

I was looking out in the night
I saw a monster and it gave me a fright
It started dancing until it bled
It was creepy, slimy, green and red

Pre-Chorus
One brain, two brain, three brain, four
All the bloody creatures are back for more

Chorus
Zombies, zombies
The cemetery kings
They eat all the living things
Zombies, zombies
Stuck in my head
Tonight's the night of the rapping dead

I feel goosebumps, I have nightmares
They wear spiders in their blue hair
Someone call the military
Oh boy, this is scary

Rap
I just wanna go home, I just wanna be safe
I wish my momma was here to get them out of my face
Halloween is over but yet they still chase
If they don't disappear, I'll spray them with mace

LA SCORES Alum Wins Youth Hero Award

Last night, City Scholars hosted its annual Youth Hero Awards dinner at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. Youth Hero Awards nominees are selected based on academic achievement, community service, and youth leadership by various after-school youth development organizations in LA. City Scholars then selects one winner in each of three age groups: 10-12, 13-15, and 16-18. America SCORES LA nominated senior Mireya for the 16-18 age group. Being chosen as a finalist over the summer, Mireya attended the awards ceremony with family members and Dre, David, Alex and Dana from America SCORES LA. And out of the 6,323 students participating in after-school programs in Los Angeles, she was chosen as the winner from her age group.

Mireya has been an active participant in America SCORES LA since she was in fourth grade. She continues to participate in alumni events, and has given back over 100 hours as a volunteer to the new generation of poet-athletes. In addition to her dedication to the SCORES program, she has run in four marathons through the organization Students Run LA, plays for her high school varsity soccer team, is a youth leader in the Neighborhood Youth Association, and was a Yahoo! Junior Journalist.

Congratulations to Mireya for all of her achievements!

About City Scholars: 'Established in 1993, City Scholars Foundation trains, coaches and inspires non-profit neighborhood after-school program leaders to transform the lives of thousands of inner-city youth, helping them become inner-"City Scholars," prepared for college, career and community leadership.'
from www.cityscholars.org

Vote for DC SCORES!

DC SCORES, one of the affiliates of America SCORES, has been nominated for "Most Creative Fundraiser" in the Stay Classy Awards! Here is a message from DC SCORES staff member Jake:

Based off our Kick, Click, & SCORES Challenge fundraiser held back in May (which New England, Chicago and Milwaukee also did), DC SCORES was chosen as a Stay Classy Awards top-5 contestant for the Most Creative Fundraiser in the DC area. Thanks to our supporters, we received the most votes. NOW, we're competing against seven other cities for the NATIONAL award for Most Creative Fundraiser. If we receive the most votes through November 5th, we'll get $10,000 for our program and be recognized at the Stay Classy Awards -- purportedly, the Grammys of award shows for nonprofit organizations -- in San Diego November 7th.

Obviously, the competition is mych stiffer now, and we need all the help spreading the word and getting out the vote.

Voting is simple: Just go to the voting page, find DC SCORES, then click submit -- from there, you just enter an e-mail and a password (only for verification purposes -- they won't send you anything) and another vote is counted for us.

Thanks!!

Last season, DC SCORES executive director Amy Nakamoto put together a fundraiser called the Click, Kick, & SCORE Challenge where she juggled a soccer ball from 7am to 7pm on a busy street corner in DC to raise money and awareness. By the end of the challenge, she had raised $50,000.


A belated congratulations to DC SCORES on their innovative, successful fundraiser, and good luck in the Stay Classy Awards!

Welcome New Coaches!

This season America SCORES LA has some exciting new additions to our coaching corps. We are very excited to have these new coaches working with our poet-athletes, and can't wait to see what the teams will learn, both on the field and in the classroom. So without further ado, here are the new faces of America SCORES LA!



Name: Aaron Turner
School: Charnock
Position: Boys and Girls Writing Coach
Favorite Food: Pizza
Hobby: Sports and Music
Interesting Fact: Also works at Charnock as a one-on-one teacher





Name: Alexandra Jaspers
School: Palms
Position: Boys Writing Coach
Favorite Food: Eggplant Parmesan
Hobby: Surfing
Interesting Fact: Nickname is "Ada" because she couldn't say "Alexandra" when she was young

(left: Alexandra, right: Chevana)

Name: Chevana Player
School: Palms
Position: Girls Writing and Soccer Coach
Favorite Food: Peach Cobbler
Hobby: Basketball
Interesting Fact: Has one gray streak of hair



Name: Chrissy Clark
School: Charnock
Position: Check-out
Favorite Food: Pizza and Chinese food
Hobby: Going to the movies
Interesting Fact: She can write with her feet






Name: Julie Palacios
School: Braddock
Position: Boys Writing Coach
Favorite Food: Pizza
Hobby: Drawing
Interesting Fact: She plays basketball, softball, and flag football




Name: Mike Baskerville
School: Palms
Position: Boys Soccer Coach
Favorite Food: Pizza
Hobby: Coaching
Interesting Fact: He is fun and easy going!

Collegiate Athletes Inspire SCORES Students On and Off the Soccer Field

When the UCSD women's soccer team traveled to play rival Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday night, their game did a lot more than just advance their position in the California Collegiate Athletic Association; it inspired a younger generation of soccer players from the non-profit organization America SCORES LA. In the stands there were two girls teams from Charnock Road Elementary watching and lending their support. The third through fifth graders traveled together from their school on a bus and on the way they wrote UCSD on their arms and made up several unique cheers that would be heard by all later in the evening.

After the scoreless first half, the poet-athletes talked about teamwork and learned to trust and rely on each other when they participated in team building challenge games in the stands. When the second half started, the UCSD team showed the girls just what you can accomplish by working together on the field when Sarah McTigue netted a goal off of a cross from Annie Wethe. After Dominguez tied the game with less than 20 minutes to go, the girls knew it would take determination to come back. The players proved their character when Lindsay Mills came off of the bench to score the game winner that sent the SCORES fans into a cheering rage.

The biggest highlight of the night came after the game when the 18 poet-athletes got to go on the field and meet the UCSD players. They were each given a UCSD magnet and a poster to get signed. The Triton athletes went above and beyond when interacting with the girls and telling them about their experience both as an athlete and a student. We want to thank the UCSD women's soccer team and coaches, especially Kristin Jones and captain Lisa Bradley, for organizing this event. All of the UCSD players made a generous donation to the America SCORES LA program to make this night possible and beyond that, they made a strong impression on the girls they met. Some of the reactions on the bus ride home were, "I can't believe they were so nice!" and "I can't wait until I get to go to UCSD!"

Keep an eye out for more pictures on the facebook page

Fall Season is Here!

America SCORES LA programming started yesterday at Palms and Braddock Elementary Schools. Though it poured, the weather didn't keep SCORES poet-athletes from coming to the first day. At Palms Elementary, the students -- a good mix of new and returning -- met in the auditorium where they introduced themselves to the new coaches and to each other and played some games to get to know one another. They played Rock, Paper, Scissors Around the World; Simon Says; and a name game. Later, two middle school girls who were in the program at Palms last year showed up to play with the new generation of poet-athletes.

Starbucks Kicks Off the School Year

School started this past Monday at Charnock, Braddock and Palms Elementary Schools, with LA SCORES programming starting at Charnock. The kids were excited to get back on the soccer field and back into their classes to work on a new portfolio of poems this season.



This year, thanks to donations from Starbucks, every kid in the program will have his/her own journal for the year. Last month, Starbucks District Manager and LA SCORES board member Tisha Kimoto held a drive for journals and other supplies and was able to collect 300 journals for the poet-athletes of LA SCORES.

LA SCORES would like to thank Tisha Kimoto and Starbucks for their donation and all the support they have given us!