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Empowering Kids to Play Every Day with Nickelodeon

We are thrilled to officially announce our national partnership with Nickelodeon. Together, we will inspire youth to lead healthy lifestyles through the transformative power of sport and play. To kick off the partnership, we have made grants to five after-school sport programs in underserved communities to help support their mission and expand their impact. These grants are an important part of Nickelodeon’s ongoing health and wellness efforts, as it uses its global  platforms to educate kids about the importance of playing every day.

“At Nickelodeon we are excited about expanding opportunities for kids and play in collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA and its partners that offer best-in-class athletic, academic and youth development programs.  We are proud to highlight these five programs with a Nickelodeon PLAY grant because they align with Nickelodeon’s mission to make the world a more playful place.” – Jean Margaret Smith, Senior Vice President of Nickelodeon Public Affairs and Administration Last year, we teamed up with Nickelodeon to host play days across the country that invited hundreds of youth to try a variety of sports and physical activities. Now, we have made grants in five major cities: New Orleans, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York City and Chicago. As an experienced grant-maker in the sports-based youth development space, Laureus USA will administer these grants and assist with monitoring and evaluation.

“Nickelodeon truly cares about the health and wellness of its youth audiences, and we are honored to partner with them in making a positive impact on cities across the country. These grants will provide more youth the opportunity to achieve healthy lifestyles, which we know will lead to brighter futures.” – Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, Olympic Gold Medalist and CEO of Laureus USA

In New Orleans, we have made a grant to support Didbia DREAM, which provides youth a safe and constructive space for youth to play after-school and develop their social and emotional skills. In Chicago, we are supporting XS Tennis, an afterschool tennis program that also focuses on academic achievement that is available for free to youth in the South Side. In Los Angeles, we have made a grant to Woodcraft Rangers to support their all-girls sports programs at local elementary schools. In New York City, we are supporting Play Rugby USA, who engages youth across all 5 NYC boroughs in after-school rugby programs that also focus on academic achievement. In Atlanta, we are supporting Atlanta Track Club and their free, incentive-based running program Kilometer Kids that promotes and healthy and active lifestyle to children aged 7-14.

Together we will continue to advocate for kids to be active on a daily basis, and works towards making the world a more playful place one community at a time.

(Blog post found on https://www.laureususa.com/news/empowering-kids-to-play-every-day-with-nickelodeon/)

A nonprofit serving underprivileged students in New Orleans and Miami will bring a STEM initiative to the Killeen area for the first time.

Dibia DREAM, in partnership with the Center for African-American Studies of Central Texas College, plans to engage more than 80 students Dec. 1, through STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — activities and recreation.

The event, dubbed STEM Saturday, will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Marion J. and Alice W. Douse Community Center at 1002 Jefferis Ave.

Dibia DREAM blends STEM education with academic tutoring, health and wellness, financial literacy, physical education, and mentorship to engage underserved youth in order to improve their educational opportunities, outcomes and long-term quality of life.

Participating students will design, build, and test their own race cars.

STEM Saturdays will be a youth initiative that is a citywide, geared toward families interested in community-based academic events where students and parents can attend and learn together.

There is no cost for students and their families.

“Science, technology, engineering, and, math are often the basis for new product innovation and improvement. Therefore, it is important that the next generation is exposed to these areas of study at an early age,” said Horace Grace, director of the center for African-American studies of Central Texas College.

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Dr. Yvette Holmes, the oldest granddaughter of Marion and Alice Douse, is passionate about impacting the community where she and her cousins spent their summers and holidays growing up.

The Douses’ youngest granddaughter, Lea McKinnon, is an educator of students with learning differences at the Killeen Independent School District’s new Roy J. Smith Middle School and works with the STEM Academy program there.

Call 850-320-3785 for information on sponsorship and volunteer opportunities.

(From KDHNews.com http://kdhnews.com/news/education/ctc-nonprofit-team-up-to-bring-stem-saturdayto-killeen/article_1ecfffa2-e0a4-11e8-8694-074e59c14ffd.html )