StationSoccer Design Partner Wins Award and Expands Support of the Project
Soccer in the Streets is very proud to announce one of our partners, HKS Architects was recently awarded an AIA design award for their design work towards the StationSoccer project. HKS has worked alongside partners like the Atlanta City Design Studio to help bring best-in-class design work to help expand the vision of StationSoccer to include elements of developing the built environment with components like classrooms, community gardens and social impact spaces.
Partners from Marta, City of Atlanta and Soccer in the Streets were on hand to support HKS at this years AIA awards
Soccer in the Streets is very proud to announce one of our partners, HKS Architects was recently awarded an AIA design award for their design work towards the StationSoccer project. HKS has worked alongside partners like the Atlanta City Design Studio to help bring best-in-class design work to help expand the vision of StationSoccer to include elements of developing the built environment with components like classrooms, community gardens, and social impact spaces.
A few years ago, the City Design Studio team approached Soccer in the Streets about connecting with HKS in regard to a design fellowship program. This fellowship opportunity would bring together a true collaborative table with public, private, and nonprofit partners providing opportunities to learn and expand ideas around project design.
The HKS fellow program gave student fellows an opportunity to re-imagine HE Holmes MARTA station with a StationSoccer concept. Students gathered over three days and conceptualized plans for what is now an unused parking area at the station.
HE Holmes Rendering
The HKS fellowship led to HKS teaming up with Soccer in the Streets as part of their Citizen HKS program. This program is an impact initiative whereby HKS makes a global impact by providing services and resources through its employees in communities of need. In terms of Atlanta, the HKS team based here was able to help with design renderings for our StationSoccer renderings for our train car project at West End station.
In addition, HKS employees also worked with Atlanta City Studio and Soccer in the Streets kids on a concept design session whereby kids were able to visit the Atlanta City studio in downtown Atlanta via MARTA to take part in a train car design classroom session. HKS also provided Soccer in the Streets with a Nature of Place study which provided much-needed information about everything from the built environment to health, ecology, energy, and resources including demographics in and around our current and future projects
Atlanta City Studio design session with West End youth players
Last year HKS provided renderings for the StationSoccer Lindbergh project which we were able to build and provide programs for in late 2021. More information about some of this HKS work and their involvement can also be found in this blog by their staff which also quotes Sheba Ross, an HKS employee that has provided fantastic levels of support in this partnership -
“Sometimes a gratifying experience in the real estate professional does not involve a building, but it always involves people,” said Sheba Ross, StationSoccer project director for HKS Atlanta. “The StationSoccer project has given us a seamless platform to envision inclusive blueprints for the future through active engagement with game-changers in our city.”
More recently HKS was not only the recipient of an AIA award for design for StationSoccer but they also expressed an interest in being donors and funders through their global Citizen HKS employee network. Just last month HKS raised $40,000 through the CitizenHKS platform to provide funding for our classroom project at the West End Station.
Decommissioned train car rendering at StationSoccer- West End
That project will be taking off in the Spring of 2022! Sanjay Patel - Soccer in the Streets Director of Strategic Projects added,
“It goes without saying, partners like HKS and Atlanta City Studio are a big part of helping make the StationSoccer project come alive. Whether its design form or interactive engagements with the communities we serve - it’s a privilege to be able to work with partners that are intentional about helping make community spaces that were unused, functional community gathering hubs that are now actively used for soccer, and more.”
More information on the classroom and expansion of StationSoccer will be coming in the near future, we are excited to share as we continue to work with partners focused on making a difference.
Team Arsenal Wins Soccer in the Streets' ATL Champions League Event At Atlanta Silverbacks Park on October 23rd
The Eleventh Annual Soccer in the Streets’ ATL Champions League event was held on Saturday, October 23rd at Atlanta Silverbacks Park and Team Arsenal took the Championship on the soccer side of the tournament. The funds raised at this annual tournament help Soccer in the Streets provide sustainable free youth soccer programs that cultivate change, education, and empower youth.
Team Arsenal Wins Soccer in the Streets' ATL Champions League Event At Atlanta Silverbacks Park
$50,000 raised to support sustainable free youth soccer programs in Atlanta
West Ham, ATL Champions League Player, Lauren
The Eleventh Annual Soccer in the Streets’ ATL Champions League event was held on Saturday, October 23rd at Atlanta Silverbacks Park and Team Arsenal took the Championship on the soccer side of the tournament. The funds raised at this annual tournament help Soccer in the Streets provide sustainable free youth soccer programs that cultivate change, education, and empower youth.
This event sees the city's most passionate soccer fans, representing 8 of the most illustrious worldwide soccer teams battle it out for the title both on and off the pitch This year, the event raised over $50,000.
A special thank you to the team sponsors, Brewhouse Cafe, Select Futsal, and State Farm Brian Moscaritolo Agency.
"Soccer in the Streets is helping provide access to soccer, community, and leadership programming in Atlanta," said Erik Nelson, Community Engagement Manager of Soccer in the Streets. "It is a tough year to be fundraising, but it is not hard to imagine that the kids we serve are having an even more tough time and they need our help. Without the efforts from all the players and sponsors at ATL Champions League 2021, supporting these communities wouldn't be possible."
Top Individual Fundraiser, Ben Butler
Leading the way in fundraising for the seventh year was the Liverpool side sponsored by, raising a team total of $18,581. Tottenham came in second with $5,676.
The top fundraiser from the Liverpool side was Ben Butler. He raised $10,700 and was the top fundraiser for the ninth year in a row. And as a team, the Liverpool side has led the fundraising portion of the tournament for the eleventh year.
“The more I or anyone can fundraise and donate only helps more of our kids,” Butler, Soccer in the Streets’ Board Member. “As for giving back to the organization, all I want to encourage is progress and growth for the event and Soccer in Streets.”
Soccer in the Streets' Recipient of the BOOST Grant Award from Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network
Soccer in the Streets was recently awarded funding through the Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time (BOOST) Grants Program. The grant is designed to address the learning gap by expanding access to and improving the quality of afterschool and summer learning opportunities - prioritizing students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for the BOOST program comes from the American Rescue Plan, and the grant program is administered by the Georgia Department of Education in partnership with the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network.
Soccer in the Streets' Recipient of the BOOST Grant Award from Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network
Soccer in the Streets was recently awarded funding through the Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time (BOOST) Grants Program. The grant is designed to address the learning gap by expanding access to and improving the quality of afterschool and summer learning opportunities - prioritizing students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for the BOOST program comes from the American Rescue Plan, and the grant program is administered by the Georgia Department of Education in partnership with the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network.
Soccer in the Streets was selected based on the organization’s strong focus on learning outcomes beyond the sport of soccer. The three-year grant will be used to expand the social and emotional learning curriculum, college, and career readiness offerings and start an academic remediation program. We estimate that the BOOST grant funding will allow us to impact 750 additional children per year over the next three years.
“We are grateful to be a recipient of the BOOST grant!”, said Soccer in the Streets Executive Director, Phil Hill. “It is a crucial support for our efforts to address the whole child, which is especially important given the trauma experienced by so many kids over the last 18 months”.
BOOSTS grants are intended to support the learning acceleration, connectedness, and well-being of Georgia’s students, utilizing a whole-child approach. Soccer in the Streets builds the safe, supportive and engaging environment needed by children. Our programming fosters positive relationships between players that are safe from teasing and bullying while our coaches play a mentoring role in their players’ lives, ensuring that kids feel safe and cared for.
Our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum is another key component in our whole-child approach. The curriculum helps youth master essential self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills. They master these skills in safe, healthy spaces where they can connect and engage with their friends and supportive coaches- increasing the likelihood of school and future employment success.
BOOST grant funding will also help strengthen our efforts to help players become college and career-ready. Workshops to expose and engage players to college processes and options and lead career fairs with community partners are planned.
Soccer in the Streets was founded on the belief that soccer can play an important role in the development of young people both on and off the field. This grant award recognizes our effort and will allow us to make an even greater impact as we lead youth down the path to become successful leaders in their communities.
“The Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network (GSAN) offers its congratulations to Soccer in the Streets on being named a BOOST grantee!” says Katie Landes, GSAN Director. “Their out-of-school-time programming is a critical piece of Georgia’s effort to address the learning loss and developmental and social needs of children and youth impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We fully support their efforts to help young people thrive and look forward to the stories of success that are sure to follow!”
To Learn More: https://www.afterschoolga.org/boost/