NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of
their 23-year partnership supporting New
York City youth, United Way of New York City (UWNYC) and the New York
Giants have reteamed to launch Character Playbook with
the support of Verizon. The new interactive online course, focused
on helping students develop character and cultivate and maintain
healthy relationships, is powered by education technology leader
EverFi and will serve thousands of middle school students
each year in 20 schools across New York
City. The program was launched today at the Eagle Academy
for Young Men in the Bronx.
"Building on more than two decades of partnership with the New
York Giants, UWNYC is thrilled to launch Character Playbook
with the support of Verizon and EverFi and continue to grow our
impact on NYC youth," said
Sheena Wright, President and CEO,
United Way of New York City.
"Providing our young people with character-based development
resources will empower them to grow into adults that foster healthy
relationships with quality communication skills—it's critical to
the future of our City."
Approximately 68% of young people between the ages of 12 and 18
have experienced some form of relationship abuse, and these
experiences can negatively impact lifelong rational development.
Character Playbook has six scenario-based learning modules
that help students develop healthy social-emotional skill sets. The
digital curriculum has been developed alongside subject matter
experts, and guides students through a variety of interactive,
confidence-building activities that explore true-to-life challenges
like managing emotions, communicating effectively in relationships
and resolving conflict. Character Playbook will teach
students safe, effective options for stepping up when a friend,
family member, or peer needs help.
Giants stars Jay Bromley,
Kelvin Sheppard and
Mark Herzlich attended
today's launch event, which was emcee'd by former Giants player and
current FOX NFL analyst David
Diehl. Former Giants player and current United Way of
New York City board member
Amani Toomer also attended the
event. The players visited a computer class and interacted with
students as they worked through the Character Playbook
course and later fielded questions from Eagle Academy students at a
school assembly that focused on character education, being a good
teammate, managing emotions and communicating effectively. The
Eagle Academy marching band also performed at the event.
"The New York Football Giants have had a long standing
relationship with United Way of New York
City," said Allison
Stangeby, Vice President, Community & Corporate
Relations, New York Football Giants. "Over the years, we have
worked on many different projects. The launching of the
Character Playbook is a game changer, not only for our
relationship but for the students and communities in which we live.
We are thrilled to be on the ground level with this new
initiative."
"As a leader in the community, Verizon believes that we must use
our resources and expertise to create innovative solutions that
help the vulnerable in our society," said Kevin Zavaglia, Verizon Market
President-Northeast. "Through our Verizon Innovative Learning
program, we have focused our resources on education and character
development programs. We believe that by supporting Character
Playbook in New York City we can
make an impact and address topics that are critical to middle
school students' success across the region."
"The Eagle Academies are all-boys schools in some of the most
challenging neighborhoods in the New
York Metropolitan area. A huge part of our mission is to
prepare our young men with the skills to make the right choices and
to develop relationships based on mutual respect. This partnership
with the NFL and the United Way goes a long way toward helping us
to do that," said David Banks,
President & CEO, Eagle Academy Foundation, which manages
the Eagle Academy network of public schools. The Eagle Academy
network consists of six public schools in the five boroughs of
New York City and Newark whose mission is to develop young men
of color committed to the pursuit of academic excellence, strong
character and responsible leadership. The first Eagle Academy for
Young Men opened in the Bronx in 2004 and currently serves students
from grades 6 through 12.
For more information, visit unitedwaynyc.org or join us on
Facebook at facebook.com/unitedwaynyc. Follow us on Twitter at
@unitedwaynyc.
High resolution photos are available at
UnitedWayNYC.org/CharacterPlaybkSelects. Photo credit:
Hatnim Lee.
For media inquiries, please contact Rida Bint Fozi at The TASC Group at 212-337-8870
or rida@thetascgroup.com.
About United Way of New York
City
United Way of New York City
(UWNYC) has been a trusted partner to government, corporations and
community-based organizations for nearly 80 years. Serving
low-income New Yorkers, UWNYC's collective impact approach enables
the diagnosis of neighborhood challenges and the design of
solutions to expand education, financial stability and health
opportunities. UWNYC then deploys resources and volunteers while
also driving policy change that is guided by measured results.
UWNYC envisions caring communities where all individuals and
families have access to quality education and the opportunity to
lead healthy and financially secure lives. Learn more
at www.unitedwaynyc.org.
About the New York Giants
A cornerstone franchise of
the National Football League, the New York Football Giants began
play in 1925. With eight championships, including a victory over
the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIV, their second in five
seasons, the Giants are the only franchise in the NFL with a Super
Bowl victory in each of the last four decades. Headquartered at the
Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East
Rutherford, N.J., the Giants enter their 92nd
season of play in the NFL. www.giants.com
About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE,
Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York
City, has a diverse workforce of nearly 162,700 and
generated nearly $132 billion in 2015
revenues. Verizon operates America's most reliable wireless
network, with 113.2 million retail connections nationwide. The
company also provides communications and entertainment services
over mobile broadband and the nation's premier all-fiber network,
and delivers integrated business solutions to customers
worldwide.
About EverFi, Inc.
EverFi, Inc. is the education
technology innovator that empowers K-12, higher education, and
adult learners with the skills needed to be successful in life. Its
comprehensive critical skills platform is focused on Financial
Education, Digital Citizenship, STEM Career Readiness, Diversity
and Inclusion, Entrepreneurship, Character Education, and Health
and Wellness. The EverFi Education Network is powered by more than
3,300 partner organizations across all 50 states and Canada and annually reaches 6 million
learners. Learn more at www.everfi.com.
Contact:
Rida Bint
Fozi – 212-337-8870
rida@thetascgroup.com
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SOURCE United Way of New York
City