NHL and NHLPA Future Goals Program Launches STEM Education Course

TORONTO, Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) have announced the launch of Hockey Scholar^™, a new hockey-themed STEM education course that is part of the NHL & NHLPA Future Goals^™ Program.  Since its launch in September 2014, Future Goals™ has reached more than 375,000 students throughout the United States and Canada across 3,500 schools, generating more than 1.5 million hours of STEM learning opportunities.

The Hockey Scholar course takes students on an exciting educational journey with the goal of winning a virtual Stanley Cup^®. As they guide their team, students complete 12 learning modules that educate them and test their knowledge on core STEM concepts covering data analysis, geometry, life science, and physical science. These topics come to life through real hockey examples that include the dynamics of the ice surface, equipment design, athletic performance, and geometric and energy considerations, all relating to how the game is played.

"The Future Goals initiative – which reaches hundreds of thousands of children in schools across North America – helps us demonstrate to today's youth that there are many different ways to participate in sports," said Bill Daly, NHL Deputy Commissioner. "The free Hockey Scholar online course is a great way to engage and educate youth, pairing the excitement of hockey with the importance of STEM skills."

‎"Hockey not only provides children with an opportunity to learn about fitness and sportsmanship, but also the STEM topics through the Future Goals program," said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director. "This Hockey Scholar course will allow our players to support teachers in helping these subjects come to life by making it fun and engaging for their students to learn."

Hockey Scholar is developed in accordance with state and provincial math and science standards, as well as the national U.S. NGSS and CCSS Math standards. The course is available to elementary and middle schools across North America for free. It was developed by Washington, D.C.-based EverFi, the critical skills education leader that has certified more than 12 million learners.  

The Future Goals program is planning significant expansion this academic year and is on target to reach well over 1 million students within three years.

"The level of engagement in this program from the League, the players, and their clubs is unprecedented in the sports world," said EverFi Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Jon Chapman. "What's most important is how this partnership is making a difference for hundreds of thousands of students and teachers across North America."

To celebrate the launch of the new Hockey Scholar course, NHL Chief Marketing Officer Brian Jennings, NHLPA Divisional Player Representative Joe Reekie, and a host of marquee NHL players introduced the course with students at Toronto's Glen Ames Sr. Public School on Tuesday, September 8. NHL players in attendance included Calgary Flames forward Sean Monahan, Toronto Maple Leafs Captain Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly, Vancouver Canucks Alternate Captain Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks Captain Henrik Sedin, and Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin. Also joining were Canadian Women's Hockey team members Natalie Spooner and Kelly Terry.

More information on Future Goals can be found at futuregoals.nhl.com. To watch a video about the program, click here.

Media Note:  Photos from the Sept. 8 press event will be available at GettyImages.com.

NHLPA and the NHLPA logo are trademarks of the National Hockey League Players' Association. © NHLPA. All Rights Reserved.

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© NHL 2015.  All Rights Reserved.

About the National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 30 Member Clubs, with players from more than 20 countries represented across team rosters, competing for the most revered trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup®. Each year, the NHL entertains hundreds of millions of fans around the world. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including NBC/NBCSN in the U.S., Sportsnet and TVA in Canada, and Viasat in the Nordic Region. The NHL reaches fans worldwide with games available online in every country including via its live and on-demand streaming service NHL GameCenter LIVE™. Fans are engaged across the League's digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL app; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™, and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring an enhanced statistics platform powered by SAP, providing the definitive destination for hockey analytics. A historic media rights partnership between the NHL and MLBAM will transform the fan experience across the League's digital and broadcast assets, with an emphasis on deeper access into the game and enhanced storytelling. To celebrate the NHL's international diversity, the World Cup of Hockey will return in September, 2016, a best-on-best international tournament featuring eight teams comprised of the world's best hockey players. On Founder's Day in November 2017, the League will be celebrating its Centennial anniversary, commemorating 100 years of NHL hockey. The NHL is committed to giving back to the community through programs including: Hockey is for Everyone™ which supports nonprofit youth hockey organizations across North America; Hockey Fights Cancer™ which raises money and awareness for hockey's most important fight; NHL Green™ which is committed to the pursuit of sustainable business practices; and a partnership with the You Can Play Project, which is committed to supporting the LGBT community and fighting homophobia in sports. For more information, visit NHL.com.

About the National Hockey League Players' Association
The National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), established in 1967, is a labour organization whose members are the players in the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHLPA works on behalf of the players in varied disciplines such as labour relations, product licensing, marketing, international hockey and community relations, all in furtherance of its efforts to promote its members and the game of hockey. In 1999, the NHLPA launched the Goals & Dreams fund as a way for the players to give something back to the game they love. Over the past 15 years, more than 70,000 deserving children in 33 countries have benefited from the players' donations of hockey equipment. NHLPA Goals & Dreams has donated more than $22-million to grassroots hockey programs, making it the largest program of its kind. For more information on the NHLPA, please visit www.nhlpa.com. 

About EverFi, Inc.
EverFi, Inc. is the education technology innovator that empowers learners with the skills that prepare them to be successful in life. With backing from some of technology's most innovative leaders including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, and Twitter founder Evan Williams, EverFi has built the most comprehensive critical skills platform focused on Financial Education, STEM Readiness, Digital Citizenship, Cyberbullying, Entrepreneurship, Alcohol Abuse and Sexual Assault Awareness. The EverFi Education Network is powered by over 1,200 partner organizations across all 50 states and Canada and has certified over 12 million students. Learn more at www.everfi.com.

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For more information, contact:

Brian Cooley (EverFi)  
703-801-4572     
[email protected]

Jasmine Ghafour (NHL)
416-359-7968
[email protected]              

Jonathan Weatherdon (NHLPA)
416-313-2316
[email protected]         

SOURCE EverFi, Inc.; NHL

Related Links

http://www.everfi.com