DC Scores in Young Minds and Bodies

Oyster-Adams won first prize for the best poetry in the elementary school category


H.D. Cooke students wait for the competition to begin. One theme the students wrote poetry on is "Who Am I?"


H.D. Cooke students perform the group poem with style and class.



Eighth grader from Lincoln-Bell sang for her individual performance. She won the SHINE Award for the middle school category.



DC Scores teaches individual and group performance.


Asia of the HD Cooke Elementary School soccer team finds it hard to contain her enthusiasm.


Ever wonder why poetry is making a come back with the elementary school set?

It's all because of DC SCORES, the local branch of the national organization AMERICA SCORES, a soccer league with the purpose of providing boys and girls with an alternative to spending after-school time on the streets. An equally important part of the DC SCORES program is teaching the soccer players how to write and recite poetry. When the season is over, the teams in the league come together and have a Poetry Slam. The competition is fierce. The spirit often surpasses that seen on the soccer field. The experience for the young people is priceless.




Daniela Shia-Sevilla won the SHINE Award for the best individual poem in the elementary school category