Entry Title (75 characters or less)
holistic educational program that teaches health, social life skills,beginning at a young age in most disadvantaged communities,
About You
Contact Information
Title
Ms
First name
judy
Last name
mcpherson
Your job title
founder/chair/ceo
Name of your organization
PLAY SOCCER
Organization type
nonprofit /501 C 3
Annual budget/currency
This field has not been completed
Mailing address
PO box 106
Telephone number
609 683-4941
F-a-x number
609 683 4941
Country
Ghana
Email address
Alternative email address
This field has not been completed
Location
Project Street Address
PO Box 106
Project City
Princeton
Project Province/State
New Jersey
Project Postal/Zip Code
08542
Project Country
United States
Your idea
Choose your sport: (check all that apply)
Soccer/Football
If you chose "other" for Sport, please define in 1-2 words below
What approach does your initiative incorporate?
Knowledge/educational materials
Year the initiative began (yyyy)
2001
Paste your video code here:
see website
If your project has a website, paste the web address here:
Plot your innovation within the discovery framework:
Barrier
Perception shapes the future
Insight
Embed sports with other activities
This field has not been completed. (333 words or less)
Name Your Project
Entry Title (75 characters or less)
Describe Your Idea
holistic educational program that teaches health, social life skills,beginning at a young age in most disadvantaged communities,
Innovation
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence?
holistic educational program that teaches health, social life skills,beginning at a young age in most disadvantaged communities,
How many people does your innovation serve or plan to serve? Exactly who will benefit?
no limit- to those it will serve--- most disadvantaged communities are targeted---currently the program operates in six African countries and plans to expand to others and other continents
Do you have any existing partnerships? If so, please list and describe.
we work with many organizations at all levels
In which sector do these partners work? (Check all that apply)
How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing?
program is implemented through a well defined curriculum, in year round sessions at the community level, and the health, social and soccer curriculum is delivered through activity based education, free and open to all--- no religious or political affiliation
Impact
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact
build healthier bodies and minds, and a better future
What does impact/success look like? Please list any tangible measures of the impact of your innovation
girls become aware of their own potential and possibilities for their future, learning the health and social skills, and enjoying the sport while learning,
Is there a chance that your project could change policy (within an institution or government)?
yes, if you believe that micro level grassroot initiatives can produce macro level results and impact
Aside from financial sustainability, how do you plan to grow the initiative or expand your intended impact?
PLAY SOCCER responds to demand for the program---- it grows from small sites, expands within a country and starts new programs in others
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)?
corporate contributions, development agencies like Unicef and individuals, and social enterprise initiatives are beginning to generate results, some small scale like animal husbandry and gardens, others scaling up, like a food security/nutrition project and others still starting or in early stages, such as sanitary products for girls
Financing source
Annual budget
budget in 2008 was approx $533,000 for total Network of 7 organizations-----though varied with some countries with minimal budget, and others much mor
Annual revenue generated
$533,000
Number of staff (full-time, part-time, volunteers)
1 full time volunteer CEO, 6 full time paid country program directors, approx 8 partime paid managers, 296 parttime volunteer instructors
What are the main barriers to financing your initiative, and how do you plan to address these barriers?
limited organizational capacity,time and staff to seek financing/write proposals, lack of donor interest in a non-event community based program , lack of interest in non-emotional focus such as HIV/AIDS, many organizations competing for development through sport funds, lack of visibility in the USA to stimulate interes/donors for programs that exist in other countries,
What are the major challenges with regards to partnerships?
none, other than financial support
The Story
What stage is your project?
Ongoing project .
What was the motivation or defining moment that led to create this innovation? Tell us the story.
was traveling in Africa at the time of the US women's team triumphs in the 1990s ---- their exciting win showed that the worlds most popularsport could be an inexpensive way to catalyze development, teach the health and social skills that are necessary, and provide a path for girls and women to achieve a better life and future--- alongside boys as equals
Please tell us about the social innovator behind this initiative
i founded Play Soccer shortly after this upon retirement from Unicef in 1999
(Optional) To be eligible for an additional prize, please select age range
27 or older
 | 180 weeks agojudy mcpherson submitted this idea. |
