November 17, 2021 / Morgan Snyder
As part of their commitment to supporting Indianapolis educators and students, the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and the 2022 CFP Indianapolis Host Committee today hosted an Extra Yard Makeover reveal featuring updates to a “makers space” at Garden City Elementary, a public school in Wayne Township on Indianapolis’ west side.
Funding from the CFP Foundation, Indianapolis Host Committee and a partnership with School Specialty supported new supplies for the space, which is designed to engage students in hands-on, STEAM-based learning activities. The new supplies include circuit starters, engineering kits and prototyping materials, as well as art supplies such as Play-Doh and Kinetic Sand.
“Our makers space is designed to help prepare students for 21st century jobs, which require an understanding of science, technology, engineering, art and math, and it also helps us make learning fun,” said Virginia Poindexter, principal at Garden City Elementary. “We’re grateful for the support of the CFP Foundation and the Indianapolis Host Committee for making possible these new investments in our school and our students.”
In support of the CFP Foundation and its mission to uplift teachers grades K-12, the 2022 Indianapolis Host Committee has committed $1.5 million of investment in legacy programming leading up to the 2022 national championship game, to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday, January 10, 2022.
In addition to Extra Yard Makeovers, the CFP Foundation and Indianapolis Host Committee are making an impact on the Indianapolis community by providing digital resources for parents, teachers, and students through the Indiana Learning Lab; building efforts to attract and retain diverse teachers with Teach Indy; and partnering with the Indiana Department of Education to continue celebrating teachers as heroes.
“We believe that success in life begins with a positive experience in school, and we’re excited to bring the Extra Yard Makeover project to Indianapolis to make engaging elementary school activities possible for kids,” said Britton Banowsky, executive director of the CFP Foundation. “This is our way of expressing appreciation for teachers in the Indianapolis community.”
Garden City Elementary is among four Indianapolis-area schools selected for makeovers based upon need and student demographics. Victory College Prep Academy and Southport Middle School underwent makeovers earlier this year. One more Extra Yard Makeover is planned at James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy in January 2022, prior to the 2022 College Football Playoff Championship Weekend.
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The 2022 College Football Playoff Indianapolis Host Committee works with the CFP to promote, organize, and execute the January 10, 2022, CFP National Championship and its related events in the Indianapolis community. The Indianapolis Host Committee remains committed to a seamless partnership with the CFP and stakeholders to continue making a difference in communities across the state of Indiana after the game and into the future. For more information, visit IndyFootball2022.com.
The CFP Foundation is the community-engagement arm of the College Football Playoff, supporting education across the country. The CFP Foundation’s primary cause platform, Extra Yard for Teachers, is dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four focus areas: resources, recognition, recruitment, and professional development. The CFP Foundation utilizes multiple partnerships to execute its initiatives and support positive educational outcomes. To learn more, visit cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard) on social media.
With a 60-year legacy, School Specialty is a leading provider of comprehensive learning environments for the preK-12 education marketplace in the U.S. and Canada. School Specialty believes every student can flourish in an environment where they are engaged and inspired to learn and grow. In support of our vision to transform more than classrooms by improving learning outcomes and district performance, the company applies its unmatched team of subject-matter experts and designs, manufactures and distributes a broad assortment of name brand and proprietary products to deliver upon its unique value proposition – including essential classroom supplies, furniture and design services, educational technology, curriculum, supplemental learning resources, professional development, funding assistance and more.
The Indiana Learning Lab is a personalized microlearning platform filled with readily accessible resources and lesson ideas grounded in solid instructional pedagogy. The Learning Lab is funded by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) and provides teaching and learning support for educators and families. For more information, visit INLearningLab.com.
