OBC and CFP Foundation commit $100,000 to fund Miami-Dade and Broward Teachers’ Initiatives

OBC and CFP Foundation commit $100,000 to fund Miami-Dade and Broward Teachers’ Initiatives

On the field with Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoffs were two sixth grade teachers: Diane Carter, Bair Middle Broward County School Board and Jasmine Vereen, North Miami Middle, who represent the amazing teachers we have here in South Florida.

     MIAMI LAKES, FL (www.orangebowl.org) – The Orange Bowl Committee (OBC) has donated  $50,000 to the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers (EYT) program – a figure that has been matched by the CFP Foundation – for funding individual classroom projects of Miami-Dade and Broward County public school teachers. EYT is the CFP Foundation’s primary philanthropic initiative to honor, celebrate, inspire and empower great teachers nationally and in the communities that host the College Football Playoff.  This year, the College Football Playoff Semifinal recently at the Capital Orange Bow, Dec. 31 at Sun Life Stadium.

“The Extra Yard for Teachers Program will provide vital re-sources for our local teachers and students that will ultimately have a positive impact on South Florida for years to come,” said Lee Stapleton, president and chair of the OBC. “The Orange Bowl Committee is excited to partner with the College Football Playoff Foundation on this program locally, to inspire our youth to strive for academic excellence.”

In 2014-15, EYT fully funded 1,778 projects in more than 1,400 schools, impacting 184,000 students in all 50 states. EYT has four components: providing professional development and leadership training for teachers; inspiring a college-going culture; pro-viding teacher recognition; and providing direct funding for classroom projects through a partnership with DonorsChoose.org.

There are currently more than 750 classroom projects listed in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties on the Donors Choose website including school sup-plies, technology, books, field trips, musical instruments, etc. The public is encouraged to join the OBC and CFP in increasing the amount beyond the initial $100,000 through donations. To support the program, log on to DonorChoose.org and search Miami-Dade or Broward Counties.

“Thanks to the generosity of the Orange Bowl Committee, we are in a position to impact the lives of thousands of students throughout South Florida,” said Britton Banowsky, Executive Director of the CFP Foundation. “We are so grateful to have a partner that shares our belief that great teachers make great communities.”

In addition to matching the $50,000 pledge by the OBC, the College Football Playoff Foundation has donated an additional $10,000 to the Orange Bowl Leadership Academy, a program designed to instill leadership qualities and promote self-efficacy among sixth graders in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. The program, currently in its second year, is designed to serve South Florida by nurturing and cultivating the next generation of future community leaders.

For more than 82 years, the Orange Bowl has been one of South Florida’s leading civic organizations, driving tourism and economic development, while supporting scholarships and community athletic facilities. Inspiring thousands of student athletes every year, the Orange Bowl’s activities help foster youth confidence, celebrate student achievement, engage the community and enhance the South Florida economy.