Players Coalition Awards Over Half a Million Dollars in Grants to Address Education Equity in Underrepresented Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 21, 2022

(Los Angeles, CA) – Players Coalition, a nonprofit founded by former NFL players Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins, dedicated to making an impact on social justice and racial equality, has awarded over half a million dollars to work towards digital inclusion and anti-racist education in K-12 schools in the United States. Players Coalition Charitable Foundation awarded $551,000 in local education grants in 2022, distributed across eight organizations advancing education equity in underinvested communities.

“We live in a world driven by technology. To ensure all students are set up for success, it is vital that they all have access to computers for in class and remote schooling. Players Coalition is honored to continue to support Compudopt’s work to facilitate growth in technical and digital literacy skills and support the future of our youth and their communities.” – Kelvin Beachum, Players Coalition Task Force Member and Arizona Cardinal

Since 2017, Players Coalition has been committed to making local and national investments in schools, districts and special projects that address the digital divide specific to internet connectivity, device access, digital literacy and technology support. Players Coalition also supports teaching truth in schools so that youth understand holistically our nation’s past and can better prepare themselves for their future. Grant recipients address these inequities and help bridge the resource gap in these impacted schools and communities.

The recipients for the 2022–2023 academic school year include:

• Junior Achievement Southeast Texas – $30,000, nominated by Ellis Wyms, Founder or Athletes for Computer Science, Players Coalition Advocate and NFL Veteran. Junior Achievement USA® (JA), is a national nonprofit that equips young people and students with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve their own economic success. The grant will be used to fund JA Finance Park with the purchase of new technology and devices.
• Technology Access Foundation (TAF) – $30,000, nominated by Doug Baldwin, Players Coalition Task Force Member and NFL Veteran. TAF is a Seattle-based nonprofit that improves learning opportunities and academic achievement for underrepresented students. The grant will be distributed to approximately 1,200 students across two co-managed academies in Seattle and Federal Way, WA for a unique project-based learning experience for 6th-12th grade students.
• Football For Her – $30,000, nominated by Paige Neilson, Players Coalition Advocate and Angel City FC Defender. Football for Her is a nonprofit that provides a safe space for those who identify as female or non-binary to play soccer while offering mentorship and professional resources that may not otherwise be available. The grant will be used to create a STEAM Summer Camp for 25 low-income, 6th-12th grade students in Los Angeles.
• Southeast Raleigh Elementary School – $30,000 in partnership with Southeast Raleigh Promise and the YMCA, nominated by Torry Holt, Players Coalition Task Advocate and NFL Veteran. The grant contribution to Southeast Raleigh Elementary will impact 360 K-5 students by providing the resources and technology needed for STEAM education.
• Inlet Grove Community High School – $30,000, nominated by Anquan Boldin, Players Coalition Co-Founder and NFL Veteran. Inlet Grove Community High School is a charter school located in Palm Beach County with a student population of 800 individuals. The fund will enhance technological studies that include computer science, programming, robotics, engineering, website design, and television production.
• Teaching for Black Lives Campaign – $35,000, nominated by Doug Baldwin, Players Coalition Task Force Member and NFL Veteran. The Teaching for Black Lives Campaign is part of the nonprofit Teaching for Change’s Zinn Project. The campaign is composed of 100 teacher-led study groups across the country that support the teaching and learning of anti-racism education for educators. The grant will provide additional programming for current groups and help to recruit leadership for new groups in key states during the 2023–2024 academic school year.
• Devoted Dreamers Academy (DDA) – $40,000, nominated by Demario Davis, Co-Founder Devoted Dreamers Foundation, Players Coalition Task Force Member and New Orleans Linebacker. DDA, part of Davis’ Devoted Dreamers Foundation, was created to introduce a new education model for 8th – 12th grade youth in Louisiana. The Academy centers around faith-based entrepreneurship programming, personalized education, sports business, and elite athletic training. The grant will cover a first year scholarship for two students with the greatest financial need to attend camps, after school program and Fall 2023 Academy enrollment.
• Compudopt – $326,000 in partnership with Electronic Arts. Compudopt is an organization aimed at providing technology to impacted students in the public school system. The funds were used to host pop-up computer donation events for low income elementary students and to provide tech support for families and digital literacy programming for youth in Austin, Los Angeles and Seattle.

About Players Coalition

Players Coalition is an independent 501(c)(3) (charity) and 501(c)(4) (advocacy) organization, working with professional athletes, coaches and owners across leagues to improve social justice and racial equality in our country. Founded in 2017 by NFL players Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins, Players Coalition continues to grow exponentially with representation from more than 1,500 athlete advocates across 12 professional leagues.