CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns are giving back.
On Friday, the team announced that its foundation has teamed with the Ohio Department of Education and Proving Ground at Harvard University to launch the "Get 2 School, Stay in the Game! Network," also known as the "Get 2 School Network."
A statewide initiative, the network is designed to "promote the importance of school attendance and put an end to chronic absenteeism."
“The equation is quite simple,” said Cleveland Browns Owner Dee Haslam. “The more a student attends school, the more prepared they are for future success beyond the classroom.”
Increasing student attendance, particularly among specific groups of students, is the stated goal of the network. Among the groups the network aims to help are African American, Hispanic, English learners, economically disadvantaged and students with disabilities.
The network will connect users to each other, state and national experts, as well as high-quality attendance-focused campaign materials, strategies and evaluation tools. The network's website, Get2School.org, is available to all Ohio schools and districts at no cost.
“To have a great educational experience, students need to be where the learning is happening,” said Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria. “Through this unique partnership, we are collaborating to ensure that children are learning every day and are excited about their futures. Thanks to the Cleveland Browns and Proving Ground at Harvard University for working with our Department on this impactful initiative.”
The unique attendance needs of rural and remote school districts will also be supported by the network, which will help them deploy, test and evaluate the effectiveness of specific attendance-related strategies. Those findings will then be shared with the broader network.
“Growing the team of adults who are positive forces in the lives of our students will give them a boost both personally and academically,” says Superintendent Brian Petrie of Cardington-Lincoln Local Schools. “Whether it’s a local adult who volunteers to help with homework or the chance to earn attendance support through the Cleveland Browns Foundation and the National Center for Rural Education Research Networks, all of our students could use a few more heroes in their lives.”
In celebration of the network's launch, the Browns will host a kick-off pep rally at FirstEnergy Stadium prior to the Browns' 'Orange & Brown Scrimmage' on Saturday. The event is expected to be attended by approximately 500 students, families, community members and dignitaries from across the state and will feature feature a series of speakers, live entertainment and activities followed by a tailgate leading up to the game.
All proceeds from the scrimmage will benefit the Get 2 School Network.
