We can all agree that 2020 has been an interesting year to say the least. In February, we were all going about our daily business as usual. UKSD KidzPlay4Free Futsal programming had just finished, we had recently implemented our new Girls4Girls and MEN-torship programming into local schools to help develop peer to peer mentoring opportunities, and we had been creating new ways for high school aged youth leaders assist their younger peers. We had even just hosted a group of teens from Moldova to help educate our community about different cultures, among many other UKSD community service initiatives and projects to better the world. Our sights were set on preparing for the spring and kicking off our street soccer KP4FP (our favorite program of the year), organizing our annual food donation tournament, and getting ready to take 13 youth leaders from the BHS girl’s soccer team for another epic adventure to our favorite little Caribbean island, Dominica.

Dear Students,
It has taken me a few days to try and put the words together to reach out to you. I have drafted and re-drafted what I’ve wanted to say because emotions can often cloud the intention of words. I’ve spent the last few days thinking about all of you. Thinking of the students I had in my very first year of teaching when I had no idea what I was doing, the students I grew with and learned with over the years, and the students I have now. I’ve thought about our conversations and debates. I’ve thought about the tears some of us cried together in sadness and mourning and of the times you made me laugh so hard that another type of tear touched my face. I’ve thought about what it means to be a teacher and how so much of what I want is for you to be safe. To be safe when you’re sitting in my classroom and to be safe when we are no longer together. ​

This spring has brought about a great deal of change for the UKSD family. When we normally would have been embarking on our yearly trip to Dominica, we had to postpone our travel plans not only for the safety of our participants but also for our friends on the island. Along with this is, there has been a shift in the way that we are able to interact with the kids we work with, as we are all social distancing to do our part to keep our community safe. Something we have always tried to teach here at UKSD is the importance of being a leader. The greatest leaders in the world have often come from their ability to find light in the darkest situations. Our youth leaders have fostered this belief for a long time and are now setting it into motion. ​

All too often, we see young girls in our communities who have yet to realize the strength they have as individuals and as members of a whole. This can be due to factors such as a lack of selfesteem, the negative influence social media can have, and the everyday adversities young women face.

As with each Fall, the team at UKSD is often very busy with high school soccer seasons. While some of our programming might seem to
slow down, this is the time of year when final planning and preparations are underway for the exciting programs we will see between the winter and summer months. Mark our words, the turning of the decade will be a year to remember for us at UKSD.

​Like many people, we are attempting to hold onto the final days of summer. As we reflect on all of the wonderful programming we were able to hold this year, we find our greatest takeaway was how many incredible kids we were able to work with from all across the Cape and beyond. We learned about new cultures, shared stories, laughed ( a lot), and found ourselves feeling so grateful to be able to do the work that we do.

​To say that our first ever street soccer cage event- filled weekend was a success would be an understatement. Thanks to our friends at Mettle Sports and Massachusetts Youth Soccer, we were able to host a 3 vs. 3 street soccer Food Donation tournament for high schoolers, free pickup games for anyone interested, and a full youth clinic for children ranging in ages 3-10. The weekend was a whirlwind. However, when the dust settled, we could not believe all we learned and all we took away. We have tried to condense our findings into four points, but it has been hard to fully capture all that came from this special opportunity. Here is what you need to know about why our community needs a permanent street soccer cage now more than ever. 

​This Spring, our Community Empowerment and Leadership Club hosted an event in collaboration with the Cape Cod WE CAN ( Women’s Empowerment Through Cape Area Networking) organization. The focus was to open up multigenerational discussions about what it means to be an empowered woman and girl within our communities and within society as a whole. The world we live in today is complicated, to say the least. It is our wish to help young women come to know the power of their voice and to instill in them the belief that they are capable of enacting great change. This event was a stepping stone to the greater work which is ahead.

“There is no tool more effective for development than the empowerment of women”. Kofi Annan