My Internship with Grassroot Soccer
Donation protected
My life’s passion is using the power of athletics to bring about social change. Working at Street Soccer Philly as a coach and mentor, I have witnessed first-hand how soccer—and the lessons learned while playing—can truly change a person’s life. This fundamental belief has propelled me to take on a dream opportunity as a year-long volunteer intern with Grassroots Soccer in South Africa. I leave July 28th for this year long internship.
What is Grassroot Soccer?
Grassroot Soccer (GRS) 501(c)(3) is a highly successful sports for development nonprofit that uses a soccer-based curriculum to deliver health and intervention programs to at-risk youth in Sub-Sahara Africa. GRS taps into the interactive language of sports and delivers HIV/AIDS prevention programs through participatory learning. Thus far, GRS has delivered programs to over 650,000 at-risk youth, helping to address the social stigma and misinformation too frequently surrounding AIDS/HIV.
In addition to HIV/AIDS education, GRS has programs that address a number of social, economic, and health issues that face youth in Sub-Sahara Africa, such as gender biases, job readiness, and peer pressure.
What will I be doing with Grassroot Soccer?
I am incredibly honored to work in Cape Town, where I will be helping to develop Grassroot Soccer’s “Unleashing Potential” program. This program focuses on the development of coaches and prepares them to be leaders in their communities. This includes helping them build an employment skill set by providing them with computer training and mentorships opportunities. I am very fortunate to have been chosen to work on this project, which is so crucial to the overall GRS organization and is supported by Barclays Spaces for Sport and USAID. Although this is a life-changing opportunity, it exists on a volunteer basis. Everything I learn this year I will take with me as I will be attending George Washington School of Public Health to begin my masters in the fall of 2015.
Why am I fundraising?
During my year in Cape Town, it will be my responsibility to cover my own expenses: it is for this reason that I am asking your support. Expenses will include airfare, local transportation, food, immunizations, required visas, health insurance, and medications. As such, Grassroot Soccer estimates that each intern should set a fundraising goal of $10,000 for the year. I saved up to $6,000; my goal is to raise $2000. With your donation, I will be able to use my experience in and passion for sports and public health to make a positive impact on the lives of South African children and equip them with the skills to protect themselves from the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Although I alone cannot stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, each youth that GRS reaches has the potential to adopt healthy behaviors, pass those ideas along to their peers, and most importantly have the opportunity to live a meaningful life.
At the risk of sounding sentimental, I am reminded of Margaret Mead, who once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” I thank you in advance for your donation. Words cannot do justice to how much your contribution means to me!
I have created a website dedicated to my journey and will be posting regular updates of all the work I am doing. Please check out my website to learn more about Grassroot and ways that you can help.
http://jrplatt0928.wix.com/grs-internship-
Ways to donate:
Right here on this site!!! :)
or
To donate directly to my journey: Please mail check payable to Julie Platt and send to:
Julie Platt
505 Parkview Drive Wyneewood, PA 19016
To make a tax deductible donation by check, please write a check made payable to Grassroot Soccer, and include "Julie’s Internship" in the memo line, and send it to:
Grassroot Soccer PO Box 712 Norwich, VT 05055 USA
So happy!!!
Best,
Julie!!!
Grassroot Soccer (GRS) 501(c)(3) is a highly successful sports for development nonprofit that uses a soccer-based curriculum to deliver health and intervention programs to at-risk youth in Sub-Sahara Africa. GRS taps into the interactive language of sports and delivers HIV/AIDS prevention programs through participatory learning. Thus far, GRS has delivered programs to over 650,000 at-risk youth, helping to address the social stigma and misinformation too frequently surrounding AIDS/HIV.
In addition to HIV/AIDS education, GRS has programs that address a number of social, economic, and health issues that face youth in Sub-Sahara Africa, such as gender biases, job readiness, and peer pressure.
What will I be doing with Grassroot Soccer?
I am incredibly honored to work in Cape Town, where I will be helping to develop Grassroot Soccer’s “Unleashing Potential” program. This program focuses on the development of coaches and prepares them to be leaders in their communities. This includes helping them build an employment skill set by providing them with computer training and mentorships opportunities. I am very fortunate to have been chosen to work on this project, which is so crucial to the overall GRS organization and is supported by Barclays Spaces for Sport and USAID. Although this is a life-changing opportunity, it exists on a volunteer basis. Everything I learn this year I will take with me as I will be attending George Washington School of Public Health to begin my masters in the fall of 2015.
Why am I fundraising?
During my year in Cape Town, it will be my responsibility to cover my own expenses: it is for this reason that I am asking your support. Expenses will include airfare, local transportation, food, immunizations, required visas, health insurance, and medications. As such, Grassroot Soccer estimates that each intern should set a fundraising goal of $10,000 for the year. I saved up to $6,000; my goal is to raise $2000. With your donation, I will be able to use my experience in and passion for sports and public health to make a positive impact on the lives of South African children and equip them with the skills to protect themselves from the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Although I alone cannot stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, each youth that GRS reaches has the potential to adopt healthy behaviors, pass those ideas along to their peers, and most importantly have the opportunity to live a meaningful life.
At the risk of sounding sentimental, I am reminded of Margaret Mead, who once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” I thank you in advance for your donation. Words cannot do justice to how much your contribution means to me!
I have created a website dedicated to my journey and will be posting regular updates of all the work I am doing. Please check out my website to learn more about Grassroot and ways that you can help.
http://jrplatt0928.wix.com/grs-internship-
Ways to donate:
Right here on this site!!! :)
or
To donate directly to my journey: Please mail check payable to Julie Platt and send to:
Julie Platt
505 Parkview Drive Wyneewood, PA 19016
To make a tax deductible donation by check, please write a check made payable to Grassroot Soccer, and include "Julie’s Internship" in the memo line, and send it to:
Grassroot Soccer PO Box 712 Norwich, VT 05055 USA
So happy!!!
Best,
Julie!!!
Organizer
Julie Platt
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA