Future Forward: Soccer + Post-Secondary Pathways
Open Field
Summary
These two resources share the approach and impact of the pilot year of Open Field’s Future Forward program, a post-secondary pathway initiative for immigrant and refugee teenagers in Pittsburgh. The program engages 100+ players through soccer leagues and supports them to explore post-secondary opportunities and work towards career readiness. While the program is relatively new, these documents provide concrete learnings for other organizations looking to design a soccer-based program to work with young migrants and refugees, and illustrates the importance of committing to monitoring, evaluation and learning right at the outset of a program.
THE INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES AND HOW THEY CAN BE HELPFUL
The Program Outlook document outlines the goals, structure, and anticipated outcomes for Open Field’s 2024-25 Future Forward initiative. It includes vision, program components, opportunities for partnership, and expected impact.
The Evaluation Report details the methodology, findings, and recommendations for program adaptations. The report shows that Future Forward players increased their sense of belonging, SEL skills, career readiness, and confidence in future prospects, with graduating seniors successfully enrolling in post-secondary institutions.
The evaluation was carried out by Procopia Consulting.
WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THIS RESOURCE
These resources offer other clubs and organizations a soccer-based program model for supporting migrant and refugee teens that can be adapted for other contexts. They can also be used by organizations looking to design their own monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities. And the insights and results shared can help us all make the case for soccer-based social interventions.
HOW AND WHEN IT CAN HELP
- How can your organization adapt Future Forward’s three-part model (soccer, SEL, career/education pathways) to your context?
- What partnerships with local schools, colleges, and employers do you need to maximize reach, inclusion and impact?
- What evaluation tools best fit your community context and capacity?
- How can equity be addressed in your program design and delivery, and in any evaluation that you carry out?
- What systems can support you to track the long-term outcomes of your alumni?
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Open Field is a nonprofit organization using the global game of soccer to improve the lives and futures of youth. Since 2010, they have engaged thousands of young people, particularly from immigrant and refugee backgrounds, in Pittsburgh and abroad through sport-based youth development programs focused on life skills, leadership, gender equity, and post-secondary pathways. Learn more at openfieldintl.org
CREDITING CONTRIBUTORS
The Resource Hub is made possible by the generosity of contributors. It demonstrates the rich expertise and collective team spirit that exists across our soccer community.
All resources that have been contributed to the Resource Hub are free for users of the Hub to learn from, adapt and implement in their own organization and community.
Where relevant, we encourage users of the resources to formally or informally credit the resource creator, to acknowledge their expertise and generosity.