Chester Upland Youth Soccer (CUYS) was founded in 2012 and has served more than 9,300 children to date. The program executes U.S. Soccer Foundation’s “Soccer for Success” curriculum, which includes nutrition education and social-emotional learning opportunities as well as soccer basics.
CUYS has a history of partnering with other community organizations to help meet the needs of the families it serves. For example, Lifewerks regularly provides healthy groceries for children to bring home after soccer sessions, and a collaboration with Chester Upland School District enabled CUYS to help install 12 raised bed gardens to grow fruits and vegetables. When the pandemic set in, CUYS stepped up its non-soccer offerings, connecting children with opportunities to engage in art, music, book clubs, kung fu, and other productive activities.
In 2021, CUYS leadership launched Youth Development United (YDU) as a sister organization; the name reflects the broad offerings of the refreshed organization. YDU provides the children and families it serves with memorable and positive after-school and weekend opportunities that increase their access to wellness, the arts, and personal development. Upcoming events include family bowling night, an introduction to ballet, and a Career Discovery Day at Widener University’s Science Center, where participants will perform labs in biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science.
To ensure the continuity of its mission to give inspiring extracurricular opportunities to under-served children, YDU opened an endowment fund through The Foundation for Delaware County in May 2022.
“The Foundation for Delaware County has been an invaluable supporter,” stated CUYS/YDU Executive Director Jeannine Anckaitis. “We greatly appreciate not just the Foundation’s financial contributions that help fund our work, but also their staff’s knowledgeable advice and regular introductions to worthwhile contacts and opportunities, including the tremendous resources of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence.”
We encourage you to support nonprofit organizations like CUYS that are making an impact in our communities. If you would like to give, please visit Youth Development United or Chester Upland Youth Soccer
