Best Buy @15 Campaign

As many of you already know, America SCORES has been selected by Best Buy as one of four nonprofits eligible to win $250,000 between now and August 1st. In order to win this money, we need teens (13-18) to sign up to the Best Buy @15 campaign and vote for America SCORES.

Please follow this link and sign up to the America SCORES Best Buy @15 Fan Page. In addition, if you or someone you know is between the ages of 13-18 and you think they might like to join our TEEN EMPOWERMENT COMMITTEE, please contact me (Matt Menietti) at 314-533-0302 or email me at mmenietti@americascores.org.

The three nonprofits we are competing against are YMCA, Room to Read, and The Truth. For us to have a chance at winning this money, we really need your help! Please let us know if you know any teens that might like to participate in a fun summer project, either by themselves or with a few of their friends, and help raise money for America SCORES.

Thanks for your help!

--Matt

Inspired Art is Almost Here!

Over the last few months, the Inspired Art Planning Committee and America SCORES St. Louis have put countless hours into making this event possible. We're less than 3 weeks away from the big event and we're all very excited to see community members, artists, parents, supporters, friends, and family come out to celebrate and recognize our young poet-athletes.

If you haven't already done so, please purchase your tickets today!

I (Matt Menietti, the man behind the curtain, rather, the keyboard) wanted to highlight two of our recent submissions to give you a taste of what kind of art will be displayed at the art show.

For all of our other submissions, please visit the inspired art website.



Our guest artist, internationally renowned for his work and a resident of Missouri, is Ibiyinka Alao. Ibiyinka submitted a piece that is matched with a piece entitled "Tall as a Tree".

In this world people do bad things.

Not me, I’m standing tall as a tree.

People want to steal, and kill.

Not me, I’m standing tall as a tree.

People want to lie, and don’t believe in God.

Not me, I’m standing tall as a tree.

People want to drop out of school

And not get a good education.

Not me, I’m standing tall as a tree.

None of those things make us big I see.

So I’m going to stay rooted and grow,

Tall as a tree.

By Khalfani M., Sherman Elementary

America SCORES Receives Largest Donation In Its History From Bestfoods Educational Foundation

Grant Allows National Youth Development Non-Profit to Provide More Opportunities to Children

02.22.2010 – New York, NY—The Board of Directors of America SCORES, a national youth development organization, has been awarded the largest ever gift in the organization’s history, a $1.3 million grant from the Bestfoods Educational Foundation. The Bestfoods Educational Foundation, overseen by former Bestfoods executives, has provided gifts to non-profit educational causes for 10 years.
America SCORES will use the gift to dramatically improve the delivery of its innovative after-school programs that combine soccer, poetry, and service learning to fight obesity, improve literacy, and increase motivation among youth in 200 public schools in 14 cities. Enhanced communication and operations among the national and affiliate offices will allow America SCORES to provide more and better opportunities to empower children across the country to succeed in school and live healthy lives.
“This gift will enable America SCORES to reach new heights in its mission to inspire urban youth through creativity and teamwork,” said Norma Barquet, CEO of America SCORES. “We are extremely grateful to the Board at the Bestfoods Educational Foundation for its generosity and belief in our organization to provide educational opportunities to deserving children. America SCORES is honored and privileged to be the recipient of such an extraordinary gift.”
In addition to the Bestfoods Educational Foundation, America SCORES has long-standing partnerships with the Corporation for National and Community Service, Hewitt Associates and adidas.
“The Bestfoods Educational Foundation has enthusiastically supported America SCORES with substantial annual grants for the past seven years,” said Richard Bergeman, Chairman of the Board of the Bestfoods Educational Foundation. “We are truly pleased to be able to make this most recent grant of $1.3 million, knowing that it will help America SCORES move energetically forward in its mission to serve many thousands, some day perhaps hundreds of thousands, of children across the country.”
The Bestfoods Educational Foundation was set up and funded by executives of Bestfoods to provide scholarships to children of Bestfoods employees around the world. After Unilever acquired Bestfoods in 2000, the founding executives continued to oversee its donations to educational causes until they decided to liquidate the fund and direct final major donations to a select group of charities at the end of 2009.

“America SCORES is deeply grateful to be among this special group of non-profits that the Bestfoods Educational Foundation selected and we will work very hard to continue the vision of the Foundation for years to come,” said Fred Popp, Chairman of the Board at America SCORES.
About America SCORES:
America SCORES is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower students in urban communities using soccer, writing, creative expression and service-learning. With teamwork as the unifying value, we inspire youth to lead healthy lifestyles, be engaged students and become agents of change in their communities.
America SCORES currently operates affiliates in urban public schools in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in 14 cities including: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Washington DC, Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle and St. Louis.
The 2008 President’s Committee has recognized America SCORES on the Arts and Humanities with a Coming Up Taller Award for its exemplary programs fostering the creative and intellectual development of America's youth and by Charity Navigator as one of the most administratively efficient nonprofits in the country. For more information, visit www.AmericaSCORES.org.
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Media Contact:
Michael Wichman
Hamilton Public Relations
mwichman@getpr.com
O—212.328.5203
M—917.526.0855

White House Childhood Obesity Initiative Launched Today

As you may have heard, today Michelle Obama kicked off a campaign called Let's Move to fight childhood obesity, which includes a White House memorandum "establishing a new federal task force to tackle the growing problem of childhood obesity. The task force, according to the memorandum, will have 90 days to craft a plan encouraging "optimal coordination" between the federal government and both the private and non-profit sectors, according to Obama." (cnn.com)

Click here to read the First Lady's Let's Move blog.

Partnering with the First Lady and other interested organizations, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has launched a new, independent organization called Partnership for a Healthier America. According to a statement by RWJF, "The purpose of the new Partnership for a Healthier America is unique: to bring together the public, private and nonprofit leaders who must be part of the movement; to secure their sustained, measurable commitments to reversing the epidemic; and to track the impact of those commitments to ensure greater accountability throughout this important movement." Please see below for more information about the Partnership.

Official White House Page on the campaign.

Michelle Obama talks childhood obesity with Matt Lauer on TODAY.

Statement from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announcing the Partnership for a Healthier America.

What inspires you?

As some of you may already know, we're working around the clock (well, at least during day) to ensure our Inspired Art Show is a huge success. Not familiar with the project? Read on.

The Inspired Art Project enlists local artists to create and donate original works, inspired by original poetry written by students participating in America SCORES St. Louis. Started a few years ago by another SCORES affiliate in the Bay Area, the Inspired Art Project is being realized here in St. Louis.

Through this cycle of inspiration and influence:

• students will witness their creativity brought to life,
• artists will build connections with diverse communities around the City, and
• SCORES’ supporters will see the profound impact these youths’ words can have on others.

Artwork will be displayed alongside the original poem and sold at the Inspired Art Show on March 20, 2010. Proceeds from the Inspired Art Show will directly benefit SCORES, providing free, creative writing and soccer after-school programming to elementary-aged students in St. Louis.

Want to get submit a piece of artwork, attend the show, or sign up to volunteer?

Check out www.inspiredartstlouis.og.

A New Year for Kids

New Year's resolutions are usually all about ourselves. We're challenging you to help us change that.

Here’s how:

Go to http://www.newyear4kids.wordpress.com and tell us what you will do for kids this year!