The Initiative · May 2025 – Dec 2026

Bridging the digital divide in youth sports across American Samoa

A 20-month, $500,000 initiative to bring connectivity, remote coaching, academic preparation, and two Digital Performance Hubs to American Samoa's student-athletes.

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Project description

What we are building

The initiative establishes a digital backbone for youth sports development in American Samoa: reliable connectivity and devices, a remote coaching and athletic tracking platform, structured SAT/ACT and college-readiness programming, and two permanent Digital Performance Hubs on Tutuila.

Work is sequenced in four phases — planning, rollout, hub operations, and expansion with evaluation — so that each investment is validated before the next is made. Outcomes are tracked against a baseline collected in Phase 1 and reported publicly at the end of 2026.

Statement of need

Why now

American Samoa has among the lowest household broadband adoption rates of any U.S. jurisdiction, and most students lack a personal device for schoolwork or training.
Student-athletes are rarely seen by mainland recruiters; travel to showcases costs thousands of dollars per athlete and is out of reach for most families.
College eligibility is lost to academic gaps: SAT/ACT preparation resources are scarce and largely unavailable outside the main island.
Youth mental health and chronic-disease rates are rising, and village sports programs that once anchored community life have declined.

Deliverables

Four phases, each with activities and expected outcomes

Phases are sequential and gated by evaluation checkpoints.

Phase 1

Strategic Planning & Development

May – Aug 2025

Activities

Convene advisory council of coaches, educators, and village leaders
Conduct connectivity and device-access needs assessment across districts
Finalize hub site agreements and vendor selection
Establish evaluation framework and baseline data collection

Expected outcomes

Completed needs assessment covering all school districts
Signed site agreements for two Digital Performance Hubs
Approved evaluation plan with baseline indicators

Phase 2

Community Engagement & Digital Rollout

Sep – Dec 2025

Activities

Launch village and school outreach campaign
Distribute first wave of devices and connectivity kits
Begin digital literacy training cohorts for youth and coaches
Onboard first student-athletes to remote coaching platform

Expected outcomes

150+ youth enrolled in digital literacy training
100 student-athletes matched with remote coaches
25 youth leaders trained as digital mentors

Phase 3

Digital Innovation Hubs & Outreach

Jan – Jun 2026

Activities

Open both Digital Performance Hubs to the public
Launch SAT/ACT prep and college-readiness programming
Host first USAIOS tournaments with integrated athletic tracking
Expand mental health and community health education sessions

Expected outcomes

2 hubs operational with scheduled programming
300+ youth engaged in academic support
200+ athletes with verified digital performance profiles

Phase 4

Expansion & Evaluation

Jul – Dec 2026

Activities

Extend services to Manu'a and outlying villages
Complete outcome evaluation and external data review
Publish impact report for funders and community
Secure sustaining partnerships for 2027 and beyond

Expected outcomes

50+ youth leaders trained in digital mentorship
Published year-one evaluation and impact report
Sustainability plan and renewed funding commitments

Timeline

May 2025 through December 2026

May 2025
Project launch & advisory council convened
Jun – Aug 2025
Needs assessment, site agreements, evaluation framework
Sep – Oct 2025
Community outreach campaign & first device distribution
Nov – Dec 2025
Digital literacy cohorts & remote coaching onboarding
Jan – Feb 2026
Digital Performance Hubs open
Mar – Apr 2026
SAT/ACT prep launch & first tournaments
May – Jun 2026
Mid-year evaluation & program adjustments
Jul – Sep 2026
Expansion to Manu'a & outlying villages
Oct – Nov 2026
Outcome evaluation & external data review
Dec 2026
Impact report published; sustainability plan adopted

Invest in the next generation of student-athletes.

Every gift is tax-deductible and reported against measurable outcomes.

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