Oakland, CA (October 18, 2017)– The Oakland Raiders and United Way Bay Area have announced the Oakland launch of Character PlaybookTM, a new education initiative focused on youth character development and building healthy relationships. The interactive digital program will be implemented directly in schools throughout Oakland.
Character Playbook is the latest innovation in the more than 40-year partnership between the NFL and United Way. Character Playbook modules are designed to help students develop healthy relationships and social norms. The program will be evaluated by measuring student knowledge gains as well as attitude and behavioral change.
The launch event at Montera Middle School today took students through the Character Playbook modules. Oakland Raiders Alumni players and Raiderettes led a panel in front of more than 300 students to discuss character development and decision-making. Character Playbook will be implemented in all 32 NFL markets, courtesy of the United Way Worldwide and the NFL Foundation.
"Learning to develop healthy relationships is a fundamental asset for young people. Empowering youth through strong character development is a pillar that the United Way Bay Area is committed to," said Larry Berry, United Way Bay Area K12 Director. "We believe that with this foundation, young people will grow into thriving adults who can successfully navigate their education, career and positively contribute to society."
Character Playbook uses evidence-based strategies to educate students on how to cultivate and maintain healthy relationships during their critical middle school years. The course is comprised of six interactive,
digital modules that cover key concepts around positive character development, social-emotional learning, and building healthy relationships. Designed for 6th–9th graders, the digital learning experience
enables students to engage with true-to-life scenarios that include bystander intervention strategies and positive relationship examples.
"Bullying, cyberbullying and teen dating violence continue to be pervasive issues that put immense pressure on communities across the United States," said United Way Worldwide president and CEO, BRIAN GALLAGHER. "Couple that with escalating violence, strife and lack of trust and opportunities in communities and it underscores the real need for programs that help kids understand how best to manage emotions, resolve conflicts and communicate effectively."
The Character Playbook initiative was launched nationally during the 2016 NFL Draft and is powered by education technology leader EverFi, which works with more than 20,000 K-12 schools.
