Focus on Student Achievement: National Football League's Play It Smart Program at Robinson High School (Athletics Department)

In 1998, The National Football Foundation created Play It Smart, a national educational program targeting students not performing to their potential. The program is designed to use a student-athlete’s passion for football and intense dedication to his team to transform his life. This program has exceeded all expectations. At less than a dollar per day per student-athlete, the program has advanced 80% of its participants to college.

The National Football Foundation initiated the Play It Smart program at Robinson High School in 2002. In three short years, the

• Student-athletes in the Play It Smart program have helped change the overall culture at Robinson High School resulting in the school moving from a low D school to a high C (based on the state of Florida's Department of Education grading system).
• Robinson student-athletes have volunteered more than 500 hours of community service for Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, and the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital
• Twenty-one Robinson High School Play It Smart student-athletes participated in the National Student Athlete Day. Criteria for participation is a minimum 3.5 grade point average.
• Six student-athletes were asked to participate in a state-wide leadership conference.
• One Play It Smart student-athlete was invited to and attended the National Youth Leadership Conference in Washington D.C.

We want to applaud this dedication to hard work, recognize these achievements, and encourage continuing efforts of everyone involved in the Play It Smart Program at Robinson High School.

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This agenda item has no additional cost to the district.