Description
SWB Greeley creates positive team communities for recently arrived refugee and immigrant youth. Harnessing the power of soccer as a universal language, SWB Greeley engages newcomer, English Language Learning youth from more than 25 countries. As youth adjust to their new and often difficult circumstances, their SWB team provides an avenue for positive engagement. In a safe and supportive environment, youth build meaningful friendships, community connections and powerful mentor/mentee relationships, which play an important role in their successful integration into their new lives in the US.
SWB Greeley runs four teams, serving more than 100 core participants throughout the year. (boys U14/ U18 and girls U14/U18). Each team practices two to three times a week and plays games on either Friday nights or on the weekend as part of the Greeley Soccer league and the Colorado Storm Soccer Club. The high-school aged teams serve students at Greeley West High School, with the middle school aged students mainly coming from John Evans Middle School. The student population at GWHS is made up of youth from 31 different countries that speak 29 distinct languages. One hundred percent of the students are English Language Learners. SWB works closely with GWHS leadership and teachers to build a program that positively contributes to a healthy school culture and meets broader school objectives.
In addition to regular practices and games, youth in the program participate in special events throughout the year; including team camping trips to Rocky Mountain National Park, trips to watch the Colorado Rapids, service learning days, off-field lessons and workshops, and participation in the Global Peace Games, International Day of the Women, International Refugee Day, and numerous others. During the summer months, SWB Greeley will run the Greeley Refugee Community Soccer Camp as well as other camp initiatives in Colorado to help support summer school programming for newcomer students.
For more information about Soccer Without Borders and the programs we run, please visit: http://www.soccerwithoutborders.org/
