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CAMBRIDGE, MA– Soccer Without Borders today announced it has been awarded the 2017 Urban Soccer Symposium Impact Award from the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the national model for sports-based youth development programs in underserved communities. This award is given to Soccer Without Borders for using sport to enact measurable and sustainable positive change within an underserved community for at least five years.
“There are so many great organizations doing important and creative work throughout the country, we are honored to be selected for this award,” said Co-Founder and Executive Director Mary McVeigh. “We hope this shines a spotlight on the role that soccer can play in shaping our communities and cities to be welcoming and inclusive for all.”
Soccer Without Borders uses soccer as a tool for inclusion for refugee and immigrant youth in some of the United States most challenging urban areas, including Oakland, Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, Greeley, and East Boston, in addition to work internationally in Central America and East Africa. This award is a part of the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s Urban Soccer Symposium Awards that recognize and honor the exceptional achievements of organizations and individuals in the sports-based youth development community.
“We are proud to present the inaugural Urban Soccer Symposium Awards to Soccer in the Streets, Soccer Without Borders, and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell for their exceptional achievements in the sports-based youth development community,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “Through this award, we are excited to highlight some of the best practices in the field and recognize meaningful change that sport is having in communities across the country.”
The award was presented during the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s 2017 Urban Soccer Symposium, the nation’s premier event where executive directors, mentors and program administrators learn and exchange best practices in the use of soccer as vehicle for youth development.
About Soccer Without Borders
Soccer Without Borders uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change in the U.S. and abroad. Its year-round programs take a whole-person approach to youth development through sport, providing underserved youth with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion and personal success. Since 2006, SWB has led programs and collaborations in eleven countries on five continents, and is best known for its work with newcomer refugee, asylee, and immigrant youth as well as engaging girls of all cultural backgrounds. For more information, visit www.soccerwithoutborders.org or follow SWB on Twitter and Instagram at @soccerwoborders and Facebook at www.facebook.com/soccerwithoutborders. Contact us!
About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter at @ussoccerfndn and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ussoccerfoundation.
