>> WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD.

ONE OF CLEVELAND'S OLDEST.

IT IS KNOWN AS SLAVIC VILLAGE.

ONCE A BUSTLING WORKING-CLASS COMMUNITY, SLAVIC VILLAGE WAS ALREADY ON A DOWNWARD SPIRAL WHEN IT WAS HIT HARD BY THE FORECLOSURE CRISIS.

2007, NEIGHBORHOODS EARNED THE DUBIOUS DISTINCTION OF HAVING MORE FORECLOSURES THAN ANY OTHER COMMITTEE IN THE COUNTRY.

ALONG WITH THE FORECLOSURES CAN CRIME AND POVERTY.

ALMOST HALF THE CHILDREN ARE LIVING IN POVERTY.

FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE BEING IN ACADEMIC EMERGENCY.

15% OF NEIGHBORHOOD TEENS ARE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS.

IN THE MIDST OF THIS, ONE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM HAS FOUND A NEW WAY TO ADDRESS THE DROPOUT CRISIS.

THEY DO IT WITH SOCCER.

HER TO EXPLAIN IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

HOW DOES SOCCER HELP COMBAT A PROBLEM AS SERIOUS AS THE DROPOUT CRISIS?

>> SOCCER IS THE VEHICLE THAT AMERICA SCORES USES TO DRAW STUDENTS.

WHAT THEY ARE DRAWN TO IS THE SOCCER.

THEY WANT TO BE PART OF AN ORGANIZED SPORT A MOTHER WANT TO WEAR UNIFORM, THEY WANT TO BE PART, YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUST BE IN THE SOCCER.

YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE CREATIVE WRITING COMPONENT.

BY COMING EVERY DAY, THAT INCREASES THEIR ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL.

THE PROGRAMS OFFERED -- IS OFFERED ON SITE AT THE PARTICIPATING SCHOOL.

IT THEY PARTICIPATE, THEY CAN PLAY IN THE GAMES ON FRIDAY.

>> WHAT DREW YOU INTO THE PROGRAM?

>> SOCCER.

THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME BEING PART OF A TEAM THAT I FELT NEEDED AND WANTED.

WHEN I FILLED OUT -- FOUND OUT THERE WAS A CREED WRITING PROGRAM, I STARTED TO LOVE IT.

IT HELPED ME EXPRESS MYSELF.

-- FOUND OUT THERE WAS A CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM.

>> THERE IS A LOT MORE TO IT THAN JUST SOCCER.

THERE IS A SERVICE ASPECT.

>> IN THE FALL, THE STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN SOCCER AND RIDING.

-- SOCCER AND WRITING.

IT TRANSITIONS TO MORE OF A COMMUNITY SERVICE FOCUS WHERE THEY HAVE TO LEARN TO WRITING WHAT ARE THE ASSETS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

HOW CAN THEY GET INVOLVED?

THEY TO DECIDE WHAT PROJECTS TO COMPLETE.

PROJECTS HAVE RANGED FROM COLLECTING CANNED FOOD TO DOING FUNDRAISERS TO RAISE MONEY FOR OTHER CHARITIES LIKE THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND OR ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGNS.

>> DOES THE SERVICE ASPECT GRAB YOUR ATTENTION?

>> IT DID.

I FELT EMPOWERED TO HELP MY COMMUNITY.

I FELL LIKE I WAS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

-- I FELT LIKE I WAS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PROJECTS WAS OUR GARDEN.

THESE KIDS AT THE SCHOOL WORK ON IT.

>> BESIDES A SERVICE AND CREATIVE WRITING, YOU WROTE POETRY AS WELL.

>> IN THE FALL, THE FOCUS OF THE WRITING IS ON POETRY.

WHEN STUDENTS FIRST COME IN, THEY SAY, POETRY?

THEY'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.

IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN HOW TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONS GOING ON.

THE POETRY HELPS THEM LEARN HOW TO PUT THEM ON PAPER.

PUT IT DOWN AND THEY START PERFORMING THE POETRY, SHARING IT WITH THEIR TEAMMATES.

THAT BUILDS THEIR SELF-ESTEEM AND THEIR PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS .

THEN, THEY WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM TO CREATE A GREAT GROUP ALONG.

-- GRUPO HIM.

-- GROUP POEM.

>> WHEN I STARTED POETRY, I WASN'T REALLY THAT GOOD.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT POETRY WAS.

I GOT BETTER AND BETTER.

>> JOHNNY HAD SOMETHING GREAT TO SAY.

HE HAD ENDURED A SHOOTING WITH A STUDENT.

HE HAD IN THE WORD -- THE STUDENTS WERE SCARED.

HE WASN'T SCARED.

HE WASN'T SURE ABOUT WALKING HOME IN THE EVENINGS.

HE WASN'T SURE ABOUT IF HE WAS SAFE.

HIS POEM EXPRESSED THAT.

IT GAVE US INSIGHT INTO WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE BELIEVES AND WHAT HE THINKS.

>> IT'S A LOT OF BOYS MY AGE GETTING SHOT AND STUFF FOR NO REASON.

IN DANGER.

ON A SAFARI, ELEPHANTS ARE ENDED.

THEY'RE ENDANGERED.

IN AFRICA, CHEETAHS ARE HUNTED.

THEY'RE ENDANGERED.

POLAR BEARS ARE HUNTED ON ARCTIC ICEBERGS,.

THEY ARE ENDANGERED.

IN THE CONCRETE JUNGLE, I AM ENDANGERED.

LIKE THE CHEETAH, I CAN MOVE SWIFTLY.

IF I AM HUNTED, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW.

ANIMALS WORK HARD TO AVOID IT.

THEY RUN, THEY DIE, THEY HIDE.

I STAND IN MY CONCRETE JUNGLE IN DANGER.

>> THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT COMMUNITY SERVICE YOU PROVIDE.

THAT'S IT FROM HERE IN CLEVELAND.