P.L.A.Y.S. (Participate, Learn, Achieve, Youth, Soccer) Program
This project's parent organization is Chicago Fire Foundation
It operates in United States
It uses Football (Soccer)
Entered the Sport for Sustainable Cities and Communities Award
More about P.L.A.Y.S. (Participate, Learn, Achieve, Youth, Soccer) Program
Chicago has been named "America's mass shooting capital" and is home to some of the most violent neighborhoods in North America. The Chicago Fire Foundation’s P.L.A.Y.S. (Participate, Learn, Achieve, Youth, Soccer) Program is strategically placed in the most at-risk neighborhoods across the city of Chicago. For students living in these low-income neighborhoods, community resources and academic support systems are not as highly accessible. Students continually face threats of violence, crime, drug use, among many other barriers.
In 2018, 55% of P.L.A.Y.S. schools are in the top 20 most violent neighborhoods in Chicago. As the Chicago Public School Board continues to reduce funding to after-school programming, P.L.A.Y.S. fills this gap by providing students a safe, inclusive, and academically beneficial after-school program, helping to transform each neighborhood it’s located in.