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Back to Main Press Page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Project GOAL Helps Make Dreams Come True The educational program that uses soccer to attract students is seeing some of its minority youths receive private-school scholarships.
Date: May 22, 2006
Contact: Darius Shirzadi, Executive Director
PAWTUCKET -- In 1999, Omar Gonzalez and his wife, Marjorie, came to the United States and settled in Rhode Island, because, says Marjorie, "we had the American dream." Now her older son, Edward, is living that dream, thanks to the little program that could -- Project GOAL. Less than a year ago, Project GOAL was on life support. The brainchild of former New England Revolution community liaison Darius Shirzadi and Central Falls native Javier Centeno, Project GOAL (Greater Opportunity for Athletes to Learn) took several years to come together but one year after it was put into motion, GOAL lost its major funding. Thanks to an article in The Journal, an anonymous donor stepped forward and contributed enough money for Project GOAL to continue this school year. Also, the mayor of Central Falls, Charles Moreau, gave not only a personal donation, but secured the bus transportation that was so desperately needed. Twice a week, 34 mostly minority and immigrant middle-school students from Central Falls, Pawtucket and Providence meet at Nathan Bishop Middle School for 90 minutes of teaching and homework help, then play soccer for 90 minutes. If grades and attitude in school aren't up to standards, soccer privileges are withheld. For many students, it doesn't take long to get the hint: grades come up, attendance improves, and the young men get to get back on the field. Securing the funding for Project GOAL to continue was a blessing for Shirzadi, Centeno and program board members Peter Whealton, CEO of CORE Business Technologies, and Olga Noguera, former chair of the Providence chool board. But there was another unexpected side effect to the attention they had received. After being contacted by representatives of several area private schools, GOAL organized an open-house night and those schools gave their respective sales pitch. Turns out, the schools are always looking for promising minority students, and had been searching for a way to get them onto their campuses. In a span of three weeks, the GOAL officials, along with program teachers Opal Alves and Robin Yates, did their best to prepare all 34 students to take the SSAT, the difficult standardized test that independent schools use in the admission process, and prepped their parents on the financial aid process. Their hard work paid off. Three Project GOAL students will be enrolled in private school this coming fall, including Edward Gonzalez, who has received a full scholarship to attend Providence Country Day as a ninth grader. Edward plays with the Bayside United under-14 club and practices at PCD, where many of his teammates spend their school days. Edward once asked his mother if he could go there, too, but Marjorie knew she and Omar could not afford it -- she works as a jewelry assembler and he as a painter/construction worker. "I thought that would be impossible because of our economic resources," Marjorie said, with Centeno translating. "When we first got the application folder, I threw it in the trash because I thought it was impossible. But thanks to God, nothing is impossible. I thank God and Project GOAL for helping." Edward had to do a lot of work as well. When he met with PCD admissions director Suzanne Bailey, she immediately thought the handsome young man -- whose smile reveals blue and white elastics on his braces -- would be a great addition to the student body, but was worried by a couple of his grades from the first quarter. But Edward wanted to prove he could make it at PCD. He brought an F up to a B-plus and a D to an A-minus and made the third-quarter honor roll at Calcutt Middle School. He hand-delivered his report card to Bailey. When Edward got the phone call that he had been accepted with a full scholarship and passed along the message to his mother, Marjorie cried tears of joy and called Centeno and Shirzadi to thank them. A similar scene played out when Servi Barrientos learned he'd be attending Rocky Hill, and John Olivo got the news that he'd been invited to enter Moses Brown, and Kevin Gill got word he'd been accepted to Gordon School, and Camillo Estrada heard he'd also been accepted to PCD. Barrientos and Olivo, like Gonzalez, have received full scholarships; Gill and Estrada need some help to take the spots they have been offered. Another student will receive a scholarship to attend St. George's five-week summer program; Jim Hamilton, St. George's admissions director, will choose the recipient from essay entries. They likely will not be the last Project GOAL students to move on to private schools; with more time to prepare, GOAL officials hope to help even more boys next year. That is, if they have a place to meet. The Providence School Department decided last month to close Bishop, meaning GOAL and several other programs that use the building will be homeless soon. It is the latest problem for Project GOAL, one more thing that puts the little program that could in jeopardy. That and the constant need for funding -- GOAL pays for or provides everything for its students, from the teachers to transportation, to the school application and SSAT fees, to soccer tournament entry fees. It adds up quickly. But seeing the results they have gotten, Shirzadi, Centeno and Whealton are more determined than ever to continue and expand the program. They just need a few more blessings. PR Contacts:
Darius Shirzadi:
darius@projectgoal.org Javier Centeno nombe9@hotmail.com
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