10/19/2021

Since its launch in 2016, Character Playbook^TM – a digital education resource powered by EVERFI, Inc. and presented by the National Football League (NFL) and United Way Worldwide – has reached over 1,000,000 students.
 
Designed for students in grades six through twelve, Character Playbook is composed of two module-based experiential learning courses: Healthy Relationships and Mental Wellness Basics. Together, these virtual learning experiences equip students with tools to help address their interpersonal relationships and mental wellbeing on a foundational level. The program is available to U.S. schools at no cost and has been implemented in over 12,000 schools nationwide.
 
“Working with EVERFI and United Way to build the Character Playbook program over the past five years has been an incredible experience,” said ALEXIA GALLAGHER, Vice President of Philanthropy and Executive Director of NFL Foundation. “Whether they’re at school or at home, students are constantly cultivating and maintaining relationships. By equipping our kids with the skills to manage their own emotions and communicate effectively, Character Playbook is helping students across the country build positive connections with themselves and others.”
 
These courses are meant to be taken sequentially, starting with Healthy Relationships available to students in middle schools nationwide. By raising student expectations for relationships and teaching them how to treat others with kindness, Healthy Relationships increases the likelihood that students will stand up for their peers and play a positive role in their school communities through conflict resolution. Intended for a high school audience and currently reaching 160 high schools across the country, Mental Wellness Basics explores healthy coping skills and increases students’ confidence in their ability to find help and to help others in need.

“When we’re talking about middle school kids, this is when they’re trying to learn their identity, they’re trying to figure out who they are, trying to see the jocks from the nerds, from the geeks and from other stuff,” said Seattle Seahawks Wide Receiver TYLER LOCKETT. “If we can remove all these labels and teach people how to love people and how to be there for one another, we can really have a better society.”
 
The NFL and United Way have consistently risen to meet the increasing demand for character education, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2020-2021 school year, a sizeable portion of both students and teachers reported being more concerned about students’ mental well-being than they were before the coronavirus pandemic.

Since widespread school closures began in mid-March 2020, students and schools have continued to access and benefit from Character Playbook‘s free educational resources. Nearly 260,000 students completed over 460,000 hours of learning during the 2020-2021 academic year, with almost 1,500 more schools leveraging the program.
 
Hosting virtual events was a central part of the Character Playbook program’s success during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing students to interact with NFL players, coaches and local United Way staff and executives to showcase their learnings. In 2020, 10,128 students attended 35 Healthy Relationships events, ranging from in-person Character Playbook Live events before COVID-19, to a Huddle for 100 Super Bowl event in Miami, to a series of virtual-only events from March through June.
 
“Prioritizing student mental health is more important now than ever,” said Chief Experience Officer of United Way Worldwide STAN LITTLE. “Despite the challenges that the past year has presented, Character Playbook has been a critical tool to help empower young people to advocate for their mental well-being, while strengthening networks of support in the communities that access the course.”
 
“Social-emotional learning is a critical missing learning layer in our education system, and it’s exhilarating to see five years of focused effort in this area has led to this type of impact,” said JON CHAPMAN, President and Co-founder, EVERFI. “We are excited to keep working towards the next million students through evolving our content to better incorporate the voices of the students engaging with the courses and explore the cross-section of cultural literacy and social-emotional learning through our continued strategic partnership with the NFL and United Way Worldwide.”
 
To learn more about Character Playbook and how to bring it to any U.S. school for free, visit characterplaybook.com.

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About United Way Worldwide
United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.9 million volunteers, 9.8 million donors worldwide and $4.7 billion raised every year, United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit UnitedWay.org. Follow us on Twitter: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited.

About The NFL Foundation
The National Football League Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation and its members, the 32 NFL clubs, support the health, safety and wellness of athletes, youth football, and the communities that support our game. For more information on the NFL Foundation, visit: www.NFLFoundation.org.

About EVERFI, Inc.
EVERFI is an international technology company driving social impact through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to mental health to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI’s Impact-as-a-Service TM solution and digital educational content have reached more than 41 million learners globally. In 2020, the company was recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and was featured on Fortune Magazine’s Impact 20 List. The company was also named to the 2021 GSV EdTech 150, a list of the most transformative growth companies in digital learning. Some of America’s leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, as well as Advance, Rethink Education, Rethink Impact, The Rise Fund, and TPG Growth. To learn more about EVERFI and how you can #answerthecall please visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.

COURTESY NFLmedia.com