GOOOOOOAAALLLL: Reed to Hit the Pitch with Project GOAL & Celebrate $100,000 Earmark for Expansion of Youth Soccer & Academic Mentoring Program

CENTRAL FALLS, RI – Game on Tuesday, October 25 at 4:45 p.m., as U.S. Senator Jack Reed will join after school students to finish their homework before hitting the soccer pitch with Project GOAL (Greater Opportunity for Athletes to Learn).

Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, is kicking in a $100,000 federal earmark to double Project GOAL’s capacity to support students and offer after-school tutoring, health education, and soccer-related programs to underserved middle-school students.  Senator Reed secured the federal funding in the fiscal year 2022 appropriations law.

Senator Reed will visit with Project GOAL’s students – many of whom have parents who immigrated to the United States and work long hours to make ends meet — and accredited teachers as they finish up their school work and then hit the mini-pitch with Project GOAL’s Executive Director Darius Shirzadi, to partake in soccer training with licensed coaches.

Project GOAL, a non-profit founded in 2004, inspires academic achievement through the passion and power of soccer.  Meeting twice a week after school, middle school youth spend 90 minutes participating in academic enrichment programming before earning an equal amount of time in soccer training.  The program helps kids achieve and exceed grade level proficiency while building a foundation of social responsibility and teamwork.

This federal funding will help Project GOAL expand their free coeducational, academic, tutoring, and mentoring initiative, bringing their award-winning after school programming to 80 new students in Providence and other cities across the state.

After finishing in classroom, kids will proceed to Project GOAL Mini-Pitch Courts around the corner at 68 Ledge Street for outdoor soccer.