USWNT PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION & EVERFI LAUNCH THE “COMPASSION PROJECT”
May 10, 2019
The U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) and social impact education innovator EVERFI this week joined the students of Santee Elementary School in San Jose, California to launch The Compassion Project for the 2019-2020 school year.
An online course for elementary school students, The Compassion Project introduces the basics of compassion education to build student’s confidence, mastery and excitement around compassion and related social and emotional topics. This new initiative will be free for schools in select markets as part of an initial Fall 2019 launch phase.
The USWNTPA believes in advancing skills that lead to good character both on and off the field. Whether standing up for diversity, women’s rights, LGBTQ issues or equal pay, the players have a track record of being socially aware and active in the community.
The leading provider of real world education, EVERFI has been providing scalable solutions for critical life skills since 2008. Partnering with EVERFI on The Compassion Project is a natural progression of the work the USWNTPA is already known for and brings together two groups focused on leaving a positive mark on society.
"The USWNTPA and its Soccer+Social Impact committee is committed to educating and empowering today’s youth, who will be the leaders and role models of tomorrow,” said McCall Zerboni, member of the US Women’s National Team Players Association Soccer+Social Impact Committee.
This week’s event officially kicks off a larger national initiative and includes current National Team members, prior to their departing for this summer’s Women’s World Cup in France.
National Team members, including Becky Sauerbrunn, Sam Mewis and Kelley O’Hara, were joined by USWNT alumni such as Aly Wagner and Danielle Slaton. Event attendees participated in a unique classroom activity that features students creating skits demonstrating that they have learned how to identify an opportunity for compassion and take an action to show compassion to themselves or others.
Research has shown that students exposed to Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in school continue to do better than their peers on a number of indicators: positive social behaviors and attitudes, skills such as empathy and teamwork and academic achievement. These students also have fewer conduct problems, less emotional distress and lower drug use, among many other benefits.
“As parents, educators, and citizens, we want our children to grow up in a kinder, more compassionate world, and that starts with early education on Social Emotional Learning topics such as compassion,” explained Jon Chapman, Co-Founder and President of EVERFI.
The Compassion Project is developed in accordance with CASEL Social and Emotional Learning standards, as well as Common Core and State ELA Standards. It was developed by Washington, D.C.-based EVERFI, the critical skills education leader that has certified more than 20 million learners in 20,000 schools.
Starting in the Fall of 2019, USWNT Player Ambassadors will begin hosting events in local schools in six cities throughout the U.S. to reinforce the national initiative on a local level, where they live and play as part of the USWNTPA Social Impact mission.