LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Rams today announced they are partnering with City Year Los Angeles to support students at Crozier Middle School in Inglewood, the home of SoFi Stadium. City Year is an AmeriCorps program that places young adults alongside teachers in systemically under-resourced schools to improve academic outcomes and provide social emotional support for students. The partnership is part of the Rams' social justice initiatives, which seek to address issues tied to poverty including education inequities.
Through their $100,000 sponsorship, the Rams will support a City Year team dedicated to aiding Crozier Middle School as the school and students engage in virtual learning prior to their return to the classroom. City Year's "student success coaches" provide integral social emotional and academic support to students, including leading breakout rooms to provide personalized learning, encouraging attendance, reinforcing understanding and monitoring the virtual classroom chat to answer questions to support student learning during teacher-led lessons.
"As we continue to focus on addressing social injustice, we know one of the greatest injustices is education inequity that prevents upward mobility for students in under-resourced school districts," said Rams Vice President of Community Affairs and Engagement, Molly Higgins. "We are committed to working with Inglewood Unified to improve student success, and we are excited about the partnership with City Year to provide access to holistic educational and social emotional support for the students of Crozier."
Today's announcement marks another chapter in the partnership between the Rams and City Year. Beginning in 2017, the Rams sponsored a City Year team at Grape Street Elementary in Watts. The Rams have also worked with City Year on school beautification projects at Dymally High School in Watts and Crozier Middle School in Inglewood. In 2019, Rams COO, Kevin Demoff joined the City Year Los Angeles board.
"We are grateful to the Rams for their continued commitment to build education equity and support LA students at a time when they need it most," said City Year Los Angeles Executive Director, Mary Jane Stevenson. "To know that they not only have the support of City Year and Crozier staff but also that of the Rams will mean the world to students as they return to the virtual classroom."
In addition, the team's stadium naming rights partner, SoFi, is investing in a community program with City Year to help students overcome financial and educational inequalities that impact low-to-middle income families. Starting this Sunday and throughout the 2020 season, SoFi will donate $1,000 to City Year in support of Crozier Middle School after every successful field goal or PAT attempt at SoFi Stadium. SoFi also will be donating $20,000 to supply Wi-Fi hot spots to Inglewood Unified households without access to Wi-Fi. More than 50% of Inglewood Unified students lack Wi-Fi connectivity at home, which means over 4,250 students have their ability to learn and participate in school this fall semester negatively impacted.
Crozier Middle School's mission is to provide a safe environment in which all students are academically strong, compassionate, socially and culturally conscious, self-confident citizens, through a challenging academic curriculum with an emphasis on innovative instructional techniques including new paradigms, enhanced by student and staff commitment and responsibility, parental involvement and business partnerships.
"We are honored and grateful that the Rams organization is sponsoring Crozier Middle School with City Year for the 2020-2021 school year," said Dr. Erika Torres, Inglewood Unified School District County Administrator. "The program's design to help students remain engaged to perform better academically, along with their commitment to support student's social emotional learning is a vital part of our District's vision to build educational equity and ensure students are successful in college, career, and life. City Year's support is truly immeasurable, and we look forward to our collaborative partnership in the year ahead."
For more information about the Rams' community outreach initiatives, please visit www.therams.com/community.
