Soccer Without Borders USA
This project's parent organization is Soccer Without Borders
It operates in United States
It uses Football (Soccer)
Entered the Sport For Social Inclusion Award
More about Soccer Without Borders USA
SWB USA creates positive team communities for newcomer refugee, asylee and immigrant youth. Nearly 80,000 refugees and 500,000 immigrants arrive in the US annually. While they arrive seeking peace and new opportunities in America, families often find themselves culturally isolated in urban communities with high levels of poverty and violence. Within this context, newcomer youth must navigate a new culture and language. Many must also confront their traumatic backgrounds. The convergence of these challenges leads many newcomer youth feeling hopeless, with a national school drop-out rate of more than 40%.
At SWB USA programs, youth build meaningful friendships, community connections and powerful mentor/mentee relationships, which play a vital role in their successful integration and authentically shift outcomes. Since 2010, 95% of SWB USA high school-aged participants have graduated. An SWB USA team is a space where newcomer youth feel supported, included and safe. Interest in soccer is leveraged to motivate youth to follow team norms and complete school responsibilities, ensuring that all participants have the chance to realize their goals for successful lives in their new home.