The Extra Yard, October 2021

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION

OCTOBER 2021

NEWSLETTER

PERFECT PROSPECTS

Expanding the Go Teach Tuition Assistance Program for Student-Athletes Wanting to Become Teachers

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or the second straight year, the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and Dr Pepper are supporting student-athletes looking to become teachers. The Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway has expanded in 2021 to include all 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences and the University of Notre Dame, with more than $425,000 in tuition support dedicated to the program. So far, more than 100 students have been awarded a $2,500 tuition grant. In December, 10 grand-prize winners (one per each participating conference) from this pool will also be awarded $10,000 in additional tuition assistance. In total, the program will double the number of student-athletes who will receive

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FUNDING THE FUTURE: Student-athletes across the nation learned on a video conference that each were being awarded $2,500 in tuition assistance via the Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway. tuition grants, after 65 students were honored in its inaugural year.

The 10 grand prize winners will be announced in December during the week of conference football

championship games. All honorees will be formally announced and celebrated in January prior to the 2022 CFP National Championship in Indianapolis.

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Prior to the grand prize announcement, all student-athlete nominees were invited to a video conference where it was revealed that they would each receive a $2,500 scholarship. The video conference, hosted by the CFP Foundation, also included representatives from Dr Pepper, 2020 grand prize recipients, and special guest speakers.

The Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway supports the CFP Foundation’s effort to grow the Go Teach initiative to place qualified teachers in classrooms across the nation. Together, Dr Pepper and the CFP Foundation will award $1.5 million in total over six years, providing the 10 FBS conference partners (American, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, SEC and Sun Belt), as well as Notre Dame, with resources that support and recognize student-athletes pursuing careers in education.

We are excited to bring the Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway opportunity to studentathletes from all of our conference partner institutions this year.

BRITTON BANOWSKY CFP FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“We are excited to bring the Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway opportunity to student-athletes from all of our conference partner

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ENCOURAGEMENT AND KUDOS: Former Secretary of Education John King Jr. and award-winning educator and activist Nick Ferroni each congratulated the tuition recipients on the video conference.

institutions this year,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “It has always been our plan to support as many student-athletes as possible to pursue careers in education.

With the help of Dr Pepper and this generous tuition support, we can better recruit the well-qualified and diverse teacher workforce that kids in classrooms across the country need.”

All student-athlete recipients were recommended by campus representatives based on their aspirations to pursue a career in teaching or coaching with the

grand prize winners being selected by the conference’s awards committee/CFP Foundation Go Teach Committee.

“Dr Pepper is synonymous with college football, and the CFP Foundation Go Teach initiative is an important component of that,” said Derek Dabrowski, vice president of brand marketing for Dr Pepper.

“Dr Pepper has worked with the CFP Foundation since 2015, and we are proud to expand our relationship to help even more student-athletes achieve their dreams of becoming educators.”

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NEEDED GROWTH

Indiana Learning Lab Expands Online Resource for Educators

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he Indiana Learning Lab was originally introduced in 2020 as the “eLearning Lab,” developed by Five Star Technology and supported by the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and the 2022 CFP Indianapolis Host Committee. The investment, built to provide Indiana teachers with instructional resources, professional development opportunities and other best practices, has been such a success that it has been expanded with backing from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and philanthropic groups statewide.

With this enhanced IDOE partnership, educators will gain even more resources to enhance their teaching and professional growth, including live and on-demand workshops, as well as live coaching from IDOE staff. As

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part of the Learning Lab, teachers have access to expanded online communities focused on supporting instruction for literacy, digital initiatives and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The platform also includes ready-touse resources and lesson ideas.

As part of the prepartion for the CFP National Championship, the CFP Foundation supports projects in the host city that make a positive impact on education for years to come. With the 2022 national championship game coming to Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, the CFP Foundation and Indianapolis Host Committee

have made a $1.5 million total contribution to support education in Indiana, including the Indiana Learning Lab and Teach Indy, an effort to recruit and develop highquality, diverse educators in Indianapolis.

“We’re thrilled at the success of the Indiana Learning Lab and even more excited that it has led to expansion to support even more teachers,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “We’re committed to helping create a legacy that will help Indiana teachers for years to come.”

The Learning Lab was originally launched as a local initiative to help

educators and families navigate digital learning occurring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Educators will now gain more resources to support best practices in a variety of instructional modes.

Great teachers change lives, and supporting these educators with the guidance and resources they need to continue this transformative work is one of our top priorities.

JANUARY 9 | 10 A.M. INDIANAPOLIS

KATIE JENNER INDIANA SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

“Great teachers change lives, and supporting these educators with the guidance and resources they need to continue this transformative work is one of our top priorities,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “The Indiana Learning Lab, a vision started by education stakeholders at the local level, offers an example of how working together, we can maximize the impact. Through resources such as the Indiana Learning Lab, we can continue to improve access to effective professional and leadership development and in turn, increase support for Hoosier students.”

To access the Indiana Learning Lab, teachers can use their schoolissued email address to log into the Indiana Learning Lab website at inlearninglab.com or can access through IDOE’s Link Portal.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE ANNUAL EVENT DURING THE CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND IN INDY

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egistration is now open for the Extra Yard 5K, set to take place in downtown Indianapolis on Sunday, January 9 as part of College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship weekend.

The 3.1-mile route will be announced at a later date.

Runners can register for the event at ExtraYard5K.com, where teachers can enter for just $10! Registration for the general public will start at $30 and entry fees will increase to $35 on Tuesday, October 26. All proceeds of the Extra Yard 5K will benefit the CFP Foundation's Extra Yard for Teachers programming in support of PK-12 education across the country.

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LAST CALL FOR THE ECKRICH $1 MILLION CHALLENGE

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ckrich, in partnership with the CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers program, is giving teachers the chance to win $1 million to fund local classroom projects.

Eckrich’s $1 Million Challenge for Teachers is happening now, but time is running out! There are still five great football games left between Oct. 30 – Nov. 20 to nominate a teacher who will randomly selected for a chance to go on the field and throw a football through a target.

If the teacher is successful, they will win up to $1 million in donations to fund local classroom projects.

If you know a teacher who is deserving of this exciting opportunity, CLICK HERE and enter them for a chance to participate at a game near you!

NOMINATE A TEACHER

OCT. 30 Michigan at Michigan State (East Lansing, MI)

NOV. 13 Georgia at Tennessee (Knoxville, TN)

NOV. 6 Oregon at Washington (Seattle, WA)

NOV. 20 Florida State at Boston College (Boston, MA)

NOV. 6 Tennessee at Kentucky (Lexington, KY)

This fall, nearly 600 teachers have started their teaching careers in Indianapolis. The Teach Indy Partnerships Sub-Committee, in partnership with the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and the 2022 Indianapolis Host Committee, collectively asked, “How can our community play a role in retaining these talented educators?”

The answer: by creating space for connection, fellowship, and belonging. The three entities have stepped up to connect first-year teachers to the city around them with the New Teacher Program.

Click here to read more about it.

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GAME BALL RECOGNITIONS PROGRAM A HIT!

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s part of Extra Yard for Teachers Week in September, more than 200 K-12 schools in over 20 states participated in delivering a special game ball to a deserving teacher, doubling last year’s inaugural effort. A big “thank you” goes out to the National Federation of High School Associations in promoting the initiative and helping make the program a success. Students, teachers and coaches were all involved in recognizing fellow educators in classrooms and at middle and high school football games. The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation made available a special game ball delivery kit for schools to take advantage of in awarding teachers, including a t-shirt and a $25 gift certificate for classroom projects. Congratulations to all of the teachers who received the game balls!

Mrs. Keri Bonds is a perfect example of a teacher who thrives on seeing her students achieve life goals and overcome life's challenges. It is an honor to be able to nominate her and for her to represent Extra Yard for Teachers.

SETH TAYLOR PRINCIPAL, PLEASANT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

On Sept. 3, we honored Stephen Foster and Tommy Gregory as Newton High’s Extra Yard for Teachers Recipients. Coach Stephen Foster is our 2021 teacher of the year. He teaches AP Human Geography and AP Photography and also coaches Cross County and Boys Track while also serving as the official photographer for Newton Athletics. Coach Tommy Gregory was nominated as the Positive Athlete Coach last year. Coach Gregory is our wrestling head coach and the head of football operations.

He is also the head advisor for FCA and Sources of Strength. Both men are known for their positive attitudes and going the Extra Yard for our students.

VINCENT BYAMS JR. ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL

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