The San Francisco 49ers held its second annual Football and STEAM Academy Summer Camp Program offered to nearly 200 children ranging from grades 2-7 from the surrounding greater Santa Clara communities.
The camp provides students with specially-designed activities that teach the fundamentals of football and STEAM concepts while learning how to apply them to important life skills.
“What they’re getting is the opportunity to bridge that gap between STEAM education and the game of football,” 49ers director of youth football Jared Muela said. “I think the intent and the purpose of this is to teach these kids that the math, the classroom the science, the education, the arts – they’re all applicable in real life. And on the football field, people take advantage of those concepts and never really realize it. With this camp, we’re hoping to make that connection.”
The three-day camp combined the 49ers STEAM education program (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) with the organization’s youth football program.
Activities began with educational lessons rooted in STEAM that were then translated to the 49ers practice field. The program’s curriculum included lessons on football force and movement, innovations in football equipment, strength and training and flexibility and speed drills.
On the final day of the camp, students completed a project-based learning activity which was followed by a “graduation” ceremony at Levi’s® Stadium.
“When you play a game of football, there’s always a classroom component. What we’re doing is strengthening the importance and synergies between the education and the football field,” Muela added. “The 49ers are focused on education. We value it and want to create opportunities. So, we’re hoping they can learn those concepts, adopt them, and put them into their everyday life.”
The 49ers STEAM Education Program, which opened in conjunction with Levi’s® Stadium in 2014, provides learning platforms for K-8 students through its education program that teaches content-rich lessons using the STEAM principles. The 49ers STEAM Education Program reaches more than 60,000 participants annually – with 50 percent of students coming from Title I Designated schools.
The San Francisco 49ers Youth Football Program provides youth from ages 5-18 with the opportunity to experience football through a multitude of diverse programs aimed at creating young, healthy leaders on and off the field throughout the Bay Area and beyond. In 2016 alone, the 49ers Youth Football Program directly impacted more than 31,000 youth and hosted 138 events in partnership with the NFL’s “Play 60” initiative, which encourages children to get outside and play for 60 minutes each day.
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For more information on the STEAM Academy and other programs, visit LevisStadium.com
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