CHAMPIONS
EDUCATE
HERE
The Los Angeles College Football Playoff National Championship Host Committee, the College Football Playoff Foundation, ChampionLA supporters, and the LA84 Foundation launched Champions Educate Here to identify and celebrate 46 educators—including physical education teachers, elementary and special education teachers, coaches, and after-school staff—who harness the unique power of sport, play, and movement to support the mental health and social-emotional needs of students. These educators use return to play as a context for recovery from the pandemic and find joyful ways in which to reconnect youth with themselves, their peers, their school, and their academics.
BENEFITS
Each selected educator received up to $20,000 to expand their efforts at their respective schools. Awards delivered play equipment, social-emotional learning resources, uniforms, field trips, coaching education, wellness spaces, and/or infrastructure projects.
Additionally, the initial 23 recipients received a professionally produced video to create more exposure for their programs and share techniques to inspire fellow educators. All videos can be viewed below.
SELECTED EDUCATORS
Martha Alba-Gonzalez—Chavez Elementary, Long Beach USD
Noe Almendariz—South El Monte High School, El Monte USD
Reginald Bellamy—Inglewood High School, Inglewood USD
Vincent Brascia—Orthopedic Medical Magnet High School, LAUSD
California Ultimate Association (Leo Decter, Toph Eggers, Naomi Guzman, Katie Killebrew)—IUSD
WATCH: California Ultimate’s Story
Pablo Carlos—Sun Valley Magnet School, LAUSD
Jonathan Castaneda—St. Joseph School, La Puente
Kathleen Clark—Girls Academic Leadership Academy (GALA), LAUSD
Jacob Correa—Whittier High School, Whittier Union High School District
Nelly Cristales—32nd Street Elementary School, LAUSD
Alfredo Crossman-Chavez—KIPP Corazón Academy Upper School, LAUSD
Percival Dela Cruz—Alliance Renee and Meyer Luskin Academy High School, LAUSD
Lisa Finegan—Inner City Education Foundation (ICEF) Public Schools, LAUSD
Lauren Fletcher—City Honors International Preparatory School, IUSD
Yolanda Galeazzi—Rise Kohyang High School, LAUSD
Daysi Garcia—PUC Excel Charter Academy, LAUSD
Kevin Glaspy—Covina Valley USD
Janelle Guzman—Puente Charter Elementary School, LAUSD
Henree Haitkin—Luther Burbank Middle School, LAUSD
Jose Hidalgo—South Gate High School, LAUSD
Vincent Kezman—Birmingham Community Charter High School, LAUSD
Walter Lopez—John C. Fremont High School, LAUSD
Mike Martinez—Katherine Edwards Middle School, Whittier City School District
Darryl McClain—Susan Miller Dorsey High School, LAUSD
Patrick Merrill—4th Street Primary Center, LAUSD
Celeste Modster—University Pathways Public Service Academy, LAUSD
Jason Morgan—Dominguez High School, Compton USD
Jason Orona—KIPP Promesa Prep, LAUSD
Kevin Pearson—Warren High School, Downey USD
Joshua Perea—El Rancho High School & The STEAM Academy at Burke, El Rancho USD
Jose Rivas—Lennox Math, Science and Technology Academy, Lennox School District
Monica Rubalcava—St. Anthony of Padua School, Gardena
Alexandria Sanchez—William Workman High School, Hacienda La Puente USD
Miles Tabarez—Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School, LAUSD
Can Tran—Arroyo High School, El Monte USD
Felipe Valencia—Felicitas & Gonzalo Mendez High School, LAUSD
Malissa Vanegas—Will Rogers High School, LAUSD
Nicholas Westfall—Alexander Hamilton High School, LAUSD
Tamryn Wilkins—54th Street Elementary School, LAUSD
Jaron Williams—Citizens of the World Charter Schools Los Angeles, LAUSD
Alyssa Worbetz—Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles, LAUSD
Colin Yamashita—Rise Kohyang Middle School, LAUSD
Maggie Yu-DiPasquale—LAUSD
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