BankNewport Donates $20K For Soccer, Academic Program For Underserved Children

NEWPORT, RI — BankNewport has donated $20,000 to Project GOAL to support the nonprofit's soccer program for underprivileged children.

Project GOAL works to inspire academic achievement and personal growth through soccer, and collaborative, experiential learning opportunities for underserved youth in Rhode Island.

BankNewport CEO Jack Murphy got a chance to view the nonprofit's work firsthand. He recently joined Project GOAL co-founders Darius Shirzadi and Peter Whealton for a visit to Moses Brown School in Providence, where the children were participating in their summer academic and soccer programming sessions.

"BankNewport takes great pride in its commitment to champion education programs that impact youth throughout our communities," Murphy said. "We’ve had a long partnership with Project GOAL, a program focused on student accountability and responsibility as they work toward academic goals with rewards of soccer training, gameplay, and teamwork. It’s exciting to see how our funding has helped positively impact and expand this important program."

Project GOAL is recognized as a FIFA Foundation grant program recipient for positive social impact through soccer. It is one of only six programs in North America to receive that recognition.

The program offers free academic tutoring, mentoring, and soccer training to middle and high school students from diverse backgrounds. The program aims to improve academic performance, increase school attendance, and promote social awareness and community belonging.

Project GOAL’s mission is to facilitate the development of New England’s underserved inner-city youth through after-school tutoring, health education, and soccer-related programs. Since its inception in 2004, Project GOAL has served over 2,000 students, with more than 90 percent of its participants graduating from high school and over 90 percent pursuing higher education or entering the workforce, according to a spokesperson from BankNewport.

For more information about Project GOAL, visit here.

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