COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION
NEWSLETTER
SPECIAL EDITION
SEPTEMBER 2021
BIG DAY GETS BIGGER College Football Went Above And Beyond to Celebrate Teachers in all 50 States
T
he College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation introduced the BIG DAY last year to recognize the incredible contribution of teachers during the pandemic. The effort was an opportunity to mobilize the college football community to celebrate and honor teachers during Extra Yard for Teachers Week. The event was a huge success in 2020, with hundreds of organizations across the country showing their support for teachers. So the CFP Foundation encouraged its partners and college football community to make it bigger in 2021. More than 7,000 teachers were positively affected nationwide. This year’s participation included:
+ The launch of an ESPN
PSA campaign highlighting teachers
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STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
More than 7,000 teachers were positively affected nationwide during CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers Week.
+ More than 500 CFP Foundation partners celebrated teachers
+ Activations in each of the 50 states
+ 90 corporate and education partners – districts, non-profits, education organizations
+ A partnership with Bowl
+ 108 State Teachers of the Year
+ All 10 FBS conferences + More than 80 FBS universities + More than 300 K-12 Schools
+ More than 30 media outlets
Season and all 44 bowl games
recognizing fellow teachers
+ All 10 host cities of the CFP National Championship (2015-2024)
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SPECIAL EDITION “We are grateful for the generous support of so many amazing partners, including everyone in the college football community,” said Britton Banowsky, executive director of the CFP Foundation. “It is wonderful to see how much good we can do when we all work together to support our teachers.”
INDY HOST COMMITTEE
Indianapolis, which is slated to host the 2022 CFP National Championship, continued to show its dedication to local teachers on the BIG DAY, highlighted by the Indianapolis Host Committee and CFP Foundation unveiling the second of four media center makeovers at Indy-area Victory College Prep, a K-12 charter school on the city’s southeast side, received new equipment for its media center, including tablets, virtual reality headsets
AIR TIME!
SPREADING THE LOVE
CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock joined in on the national celebration, here joining Good Morning Arizona to talk Big Day.
and makerspace tables. The total investment in Indiana teachers through the partnership will exceed $3 million. The Indy Host Committee got off to a head start for Extra Yard for Teachers Week in holding Extra Yard for Teachers State Park Day on Sunday, September 12. All Indiana teachers and families had free access to five state parks and were treated to giveaways, live music and refreshments. “We’re proud We are grateful for the generous to partner with support of so many amazing Extra Yard for Teachers and partners, including everyone in support, recognize the college football community. and celebrate It is wonderful to see how much teachers across the good we can do when we all work country and in our together to support our teachers. state,” said Mark Howell, chairman of the Indianapolis BRITTON BANOWSKY CFP FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Host Committee.
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“Honoring teachers is one of the many ways that the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship positively impacts our community.”
HOST COMMITTEES
Former CFP National Championship host communities, such as the Bay Area through “Follow Your Bliss” grants for teachers, and Miami with a new school makeover reveal, as well as future national championship game host Houston who surprised 10 teachers with resource funds continue to make a difference as part of the overall effort.
COTTON BOWL FOUNDATION
The CFP Foundation and Cotton Bowl Foundation honored Dallas-area teachers through a $50,000 grant to Catch Up & Read and a $50,000 grant to Urban Teachers — programs geared
toward supporting professional development and recruitment of great teachers. Each teacher in the programs also received a $100 DonorsChoose gift card to help with school supplies and resources.
BOWL SEASON
A significant area of growth came from the participation of Bowl Season, as every postseason bowl game was involved. The CFP Foundation and Bowl Season announced a new partnership in August, which not only included efforts on the BIG DAY, but also the opportunity to participate in an Extra Yard for Teachers recognition and grant-matching program during Bowl Season in December and January. “Bowl Season is honored to work with Extra Yard for Teachers in helping make the BIG DAY a national success,” said Bowl Season Executive Director Nick Carparelli. “Teachers are so important, especially with all they have had to work through over the last 18 months. We’re excited to help grow the effort and support teachers across the country.” Each bowl game was provided with a $1,000 DonorsChoose gift card to present to a local teacher. In addition, the Desert Financial Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program distributed out additional grants to teachers who were grant runners-up last year. The Liberty Bowl continues to make a difference with teachers at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis. The generosity shown on the BIG DAY helped drive the overall contributions to close to $1 million over the partnership.
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SPECIAL EDITION
MORE THAN 500 CFP FOUNDA TION PARTNERS CELEBRATED
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SURPRISE!
RESOURCES
Creating smiles is a tradition on the Big Day.
DonorsChoose helps teachers get supplies they need.
THE ALLIANCE FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION
the country have been awarded thousands of dollars in grants over An original partner of the CFP the last seven years to help provide Foundation, Notre Dame’s Alliance students with Chromebooks, for Catholic Education (ACE) calculators, new desks, school program gave $1,000 towards supplies and much more. teacher resources to Indianapolis’ “ACE’s partnership with the Holy Angels Catholic School. College Football Playoff Foundation ACE teachers from all corners of has been instrumental in growing the ways we can serve children, particularly those on the margins,” said ACE’s partnership with the College John Staud, the Football Playoff Foundation has executive director been instrumental in growing of the Alliance the ways we can serve children, for Catholic Education. “We particularly those on the margins. are so grateful for the Foundation’s JOHN STAUD support.” EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALLIANCE FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION
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ESPN
ESPN has always been a supportive partner of the CFP Foundation. This year, ESPN debuted a new “Answer the Call” PSA video across its networks for the BIG DAY, and the spot will run throughout the college football season. Once again, College GameDay included segments celebrating teachers to celebrate Extra Yard for Teachers Week, and conference networks like the SEC Network and ACC Network each participated in on-air giveaways and thank you’s.
THANK YOU TEACHERS!
↑ NATIONWIDE More than 80 FBS universities participated across the USA.
These examples are but just a few of the hundreds of impactful efforts implemented across the country on the BIG DAY. “We all need to recognize the importance of teachers,” said CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock. “We do that by supporting teachers and honoring them. We
all need to remind ourselves of the teachers who gave us a great start. The BIG DAY is a day to reach out and simply say, ‘thank you.’ It’s a tremendous effort to get behind.” In its seven years, the CFP We all need to remind ourselves of Foundation and the teachers who gave us a great its partners have invested start. The BIG DAY is a day to reach more than $50 out and simply say, ‘thank you.’ It’s million to support a tremendous effort to get behind. K-12 educators, impacting more than 400,000 BILL HANCOCK CFP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR teachers and eight
million students. The success of the BIG DAY laid the foundation for more in the future. “The teachers’ reactions were once again so wonderful. You never tire of seeing so many smiles,” Banowsky said. “Thanks to the efforts and generous CONGRATS! support of so many partners, The BIG DAY was once again a great success.”
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SPECIAL EDITION
ESPN A total of $20,000 in DonorsChoose gift cards were given away on behalf of the CFP Foundation and ESPN through the SEC Network and the ACC Network on the BIG DAY, Game Day activations (Sept. 11 and Sept. 18), and within various college football programming throughout the week. Throughout Extra Yard for Teachers Week, ESPN’s College GameDay included segments celebrating teachers and recognized their commitment to students.
COLLEGE GAMEDAY WINNERS!
An original partner of the CFP Foundation, and a very generous one at that, ESPN launched a new “Answer the Call” PSA across its networks for the Big Day and Extra Yard for Teachers Week, and the spot will run throughout the college football season.
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EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS
NATIONAL TEACHERS HALL OF FAME
ROUNDTABLE
E THANK
YOU!
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), which runs the National Teacher of the Year (TOY) and State Teachers of the Year Programs, worked with and organized past recipients of the award since 2017, to each recognize an educator colleague with a $100 DonorsChoose gift card, resulting in more than 100 teachers being honored.
PRESENTED BY
2019 Arizona TOY Kareem Neal honored his colleague Megan Dunklee, saying, “She never stops working to give access to the arts to all students! I am proud to elevate their work to support students, educators and families.”
ducators across America virtually attended a roundtable discussion involving five career teachers with a combined total of 150 years of classroom teaching on the BIG DAY. Last year, these newest inductees of the National Teachers Hall of Fame were announced virtually, and, because of COVID restrictions, they are still waiting for formal induction ceremonies. All were eagar to participate in this virtual roundtable as a way of sharing their expertise as career teachers. The National Teachers Hall of Fame, Emporia State University, and the Teachers College at ESU partnered with the CFP Foundation to provide free professional development for educators who watched and responded to the roundtable event. Moderated by Dr. Ken Weaver, ESU professor of psychology, retired dean of the Teachers College and past chair of the NTHF board of trustees, the discussion focused on the observations and advice for educators from the five members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
The Class of 2020 tipped their caps to the CFP Foundation on the BIG DAY.
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SPECIAL EDITION
INDY 2022 The Indianapolis Host Committee made every day count during Extra Yard for Teachers Week, implementing several activations to recognize or celebrate teachers. Highlights included free tickets to Indianapolis Indians baseball games, a behind-thescenes tour of the Indianapolis Airport, free tickets to the Notre Dame vs. Purdue football game, and programs for first- and second-year teachers.
The second of four media center makeovers for 2021 was revealed on the BIG DAY at Indyarea Victory College Prep, a K-12 charter school that received new equipment, including tablets, virtual reality headsets and makerspace tables.
The Indy Host Committee got off to a head start in holding Extra Yard for Teachers State Park Day on Sunday, September 12. All Indiana teachers and families had free access to five state parks and were treated to giveaways, live music and refreshments.
NOTRE DAME ACE SCHOOLS Since the program’s founding in 1993, Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program has strengthened K-12 schools through innovative practices in four realms integral to school transformation: forming talent, expanding access, enhancing school vitality, and conducting research on school improvement. Notre Dame gave deserving teachers at Indianapolis’ Holy Angels Catholic School $1,000 for their classrooms. ACE teachers from all corners of the country have been awarded thousands of dollars in grants from the CFP Foundation over the last seven years to help provide students with Chromebooks, calculators, new desks, school supplies and much more. In addition, all teachers at ACE schools in Indianapolis received an A+ Lunch on the BIG DAY, including Holy Angels Catholic School, Holy Cross Catholic School, Providence Cristo Rey High School, St. Philip Neri Catholic School.
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UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE PARTICIPATION
THANKING TEACHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
More than 80 FBS universities and colleges stepped up to honor teachers on the BIG DAY, many back on campus for fun and surprises.
Florida’s Anthony Richardson surprised teachers.
↑ Arkansas student-athlete Brooke Schultz surprised a former teacher.
↑ Texas Tech surprised Coach Hobdy in Lubbock, Texas.
↑ South Alabama student-athletes gave shout-outs to their favorite teachers.
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↑ North Carolina had a special delivery for a second-grade teacher.
MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher surprised a Cleveland teacher.
even The SEC to decided s it r o n ho r of Professo the Year.
Nebraska recognized an elementary teacher for her dedication.
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SPECIAL EDITION
COLLEGE FOOTBALL MEDIA RECOGNIZED TEACHERS More than 30 college football writers, personalities and former players gave social media shout-outs and re-tweets to teachers, thanking them for their dedication to keeping our kids learning during such a challenging time.
GAME BALL RECOGNITIONS More than 200 K-12 schools participated in delivering a special game ball to a teacher on campus. The CFP Foundation made available a special game ball delivery kit for schools to take advantage of, including a teacher t-shirt and a $25 gift certificate for classroom projects. This was the BIG DAY’s largest area of growth from 2020, as the CFP Foundation worked closely with the National Federation of High School Associations on the effort.
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BOWL SEASON CELEBRATED Bowl Season came together with Extra Yard for Teachers to form a partnership that saw all 44 bowl games participate in the BIG DAY!
COTTON BOWL
FIESTA BOWL
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The Cotton Bowl Foundation and CFP Foundation teamed up once again to make it a BIG DAY for North Texas educators, awarding grants of $50,000 each to Urban Teachers Dallas-Fort Worth and Catch Up & Read.
The Fiesta Bowl surprised Band, Guitar and Choir teacher Micaela Saucedo with a $1,000 gift card to use her classroom.
LIBERTY BOWL
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
The AutoZone Liberty Bowl had a special surprise for longtime Central High School teacher Lauraetta Lockridge — a $1,000 DonorsChoose gift card to be used for classroom or student resources and projects.
Throughout Extra Yards for Teachers Week, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl donated $11,250 to local teachers.
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SPECIAL EDITION
LEGACY HOST CITIES Former CFP National Championship host communities participated in Extra Yard For Teachers Week, such as the Bay Area through “Follow Your Bliss” grants grants for teachers and Miami with a new school makeover reveal, as well as future host Houston, which surprised 10 teachers with resource funds. All 10 past, present and future host communities of the CFP National Championship participated in the BIG DAY, including 2015 North Texas, 2016 Arizona, 2017 Tampa, 2018 Atlanta, 2019 Bay Area, 2020 New Orleans, 2021 Miami, 2022 Indianapolis, 2023 Los Angeles and 2024 Houston.
FOLLOW YOUR BLISS GRANTS AWARDED
49ers EDU was excited to honor and celebrate Bay Area educators. On the Big Day, all runners-up for the 2021 Dr. Harry Edwards “Follow Your Bliss” Award received a DonorsChoose gift card for their classroom.
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On its @CFPExtra Yard social media channels, CFP Foundation Partners provided giveaways to nominated teachers
Thank you again so much for the School Specialty gift certificate! I was able to order some hands-on manipulatives for my most needy students. With COVID restrictions and tight budgets, it has been difficult to acquire the materials that we know would be most effective. Your generosity is helping me to reach those students!!! I am so very grateful!
HONORED The CFP Foundation recognizes teachers nominated as part of the Honored “Honor Roll” — every teacher nominated for the Honored National Teaching Award. Every nomination matters. Research shows that teachers who see the impact they have on students’ lives stay engaged and inspired, and they continue teaching longer. Congratulations to all of the exceptional nominees!
Our friends at Honored do an amazing job celebrating and highlighting GREAT teachers!
NANCY WILLIAMS, LEARNING SPECIALIST CENTENNIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Watch Video
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