NFL, Charitable Partners Establish Free Educational Resources During Coronavirus School Closures

The NFL and several of its charitable partners have made digital education and wellness resources available for free for teachers, parents, and students across the country to utilize during this unprecedented time when alternate forms of learning are needed.

These resources provide additional opportunities to learn outside of school as millions of students across the country are displaced from their classrooms.

The NFL family is taking a first step to rally together to help those who need it most during this time and will be announcing additional relief efforts and financial support shortly. During this past season, the NFL asked our fans and communities to huddle together and give back as part of Huddle for 100. There is no more important time than now to continue this critical message.

“We know this is a difficult and uncertain time across our nation, including for millions of parents like me with young kids at home, looking to keep them active and educated. We want students, teachers, and parents to know there are options for them at home,” said Anna Isaacson, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility, NFL. “Alongside our partners, we’ve made a number of digital education resources available for anyone who may need them immediately when learning and teaching is extremely critical.”

As part of this first phase of support, outlined below are the resources the NFL and its partners have made available for free:

American Heart Association and Discovery Education – NFL PLAY 60

• NFL PLAY 60 Virtual Field Trip
  • The NFL PLAY 60 Virtual Field Trip is an all access pass to behind the scenes of Super Bowl LIV in Miami. Huddle Up and Get Moving with NFL players, cheerleaders, American Heart Association volunteers and students.
• NFL PLAY 60 App – Available in the App Store or on Google Play
  • With the NFL PLAY 60 App take real steps to move in the game, explore your surroundings and collect characters to build your ultimate team for competition. See your rank on the leaderboard as you run, jump, dance, catch and see your players do the same.
• Family Activities – simple ways to encourage daily physical activity to keep everyone healthy.
• Discovery Education Resources
  • To help schools and the communities they serve maintain continuity of learning in the event of prolonged school closures due to the Coronavirus, Discovery Education has created a three-pronged response. The elements of our response are as follows:
    • For U.S. schools or school systems that are not currently using Discovery Education resources, but are experiencing closures due to the Coronavirus, Discovery is offering free access to Discovery Education Experience through the remainder of the school year. To request access to Discovery Education Experience, principals and superintendents of affected school or school districts are encouraged to fill out the Experience Access Request form.
    • Discovery Education has created a special channel within Discovery Education Experience—the Viruses and Outbreak Channel—featuring digital content that helps educators discuss the Coronavirus outbreak with students. This content includes timely updates on what the Coronavirus is, information on how infectious diseases spread, and essential guidelines for staying healthy. Schools and school systems with access to Discovery Education Experience can find these resources here.
    • Discovery has worked with their content partners to make the Viruses and Outbreak Channel available to the communities our U.S. school systems serve so that parents, caregivers, and other adults have the same access to the materials children are being taught in schools. If you are a Discovery Education partner and are interested in obtaining a login for the Viruses and Outbreak Channel that you can send to members of your community, please fill out the Experience Access Request form.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

• MyFuture
  • MyFuture is BGCA’s mobile-friendly social platform with access to over 185 Boys & Girls Club program activities in areas such as STEM, leadership and the arts. With MyFuture, kids and teens can learn new skills, connect with their friends, and earn recognition and rewards in a safe and fun online environment. While anyone can access the 45-minute activities available, BGC Members can also earn digital badges and share their completed projects with the online MyFuture community. Currently, youth can earn badges in Digital Literacy Essentials, Media Making, Computer Science, Leadership, Visual Arts, Lyricism 101, Ultimate Journey, SMART Girls, Positive Club Climate and DIY STEM.
• YD Toolbox
  • The YDToolbox mobile app helps Youth Development Professionals, Educators and Caregivers provide quick and engaging learning experiences focused on supporting young people’s social and emotional development. These tools help caring adults to build communities with youth, spark meaningful conversations and maximize learning. Download the app for free on the Google Play or Apple stores by searching for “YDToolbox,” or access it on your computer at ydtoolbox.goodbarber.com. Once downloaded, click on Quick Tools for access to community builders, conversation starters, energizers and reflection questions.

Character Playbook – United Way and EVERFI

• The NFL, in partnership with United Way Worldwide, is providing access to Character Playbook: Healthy Relationships & Mental Wellness Basics, two innovative digital learning experiences for middle and high school students to support remote learning.
• Powered by digital education leader EVERFI, Healthy Relationships uses evidence-based strategies to educate students on how to cultivate and maintain healthy relationships during these critical years. The six-module course takes 2-3 hours to complete and meets National Health Education Standards (NHES), CASEL Social and Emotional Learning Competencies, and Common Core State Standards.
• Character Playbook: Mental Wellness Basics, is a digital program designed to help educators foster mental wellness in their classrooms and equip students with lifelong mental wellness skills. Mental Wellness Basics is intended for high school students and is being made free for the time being. This course, also powered by EVERFI, meets National Health Education Standards (NHES) and State Academic Health Standards. The four-module course takes approximately one hour to complete, and covers topics including Mental Health Basics and Healthy Coping Skills. Tips for teen mental wellness are also available.

The Cooper Institute

• For teachers who are still delivering online instruction, our videos explaining aerobic capacity, muscular fitness, and body composition are always available on the FitnessGram site: https://fitnessgram.net/assessment/#el-b0f87cce
• The Cooper Institute has also compiled a playlist of videos from our library of Fit Tips to give students, parents and teachers fitness activities they can do at home.
• For the latest in youth fitness news and helpful resources during this time.

Fuel Up to Play 60 / America’s Dairy Farmers / GENYOUth

• At-Home Health and Wellness Resources:
  • Fuel Up to Play 60 has curated digital, at-home health and wellness content to deploy across its channels: www.FuelUptoPlay60.com, Fuel Up to Play 60 app and its national database of Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisors. These resources will help make tools to lead healthy lifestyles outside of the school building more accessible for students and teachers.

Youth Football & At-Home Coaching

• USA Football
  • Football Development Model 60 Ways to Play Guide: This guide is an interactive resource that uses basic exercises and programs to develop physical literacy. The exercises and games teach fundamental movement sills in an engaging manner, creating fun experience for participants.
• InSideOut Initiative
  • To provide a sense of ongoing community and connection with high school student-athletes, the InSideOut Initiative will push out bi-weekly messages to high school administrators and coaches that contain ideas, best practices and curriculum to stay connected and engaged with students. Follow @ISOInitiative for more information.
  • Parents can learn how we can collectively help create a fun and enriching sports experience for high school student-athletes.

306: African-American History

• EVERFI and the NFL are providing 306: African-American History, a digital education program created by EVERFI that shares stories of African-American accomplishments in the arts, science, academia, and sports, to high school students free for the time being.