Super Bowl may be over, but its impact on local educational efforts keeps on going
The nonprofit organization Frameworks of Tampa Bay received a $10,000 grant from the Super Bowl LV Host Committee to help students with social and emotional learning.
By: Robert Boyd
TAMPA, Fla. — First graders at BridgePrep Academy Tampa are putting math and reading aside for a few minutes for some very important breathing exercises.
"So what you do is you put a heart on your chest, and when you breathe in, it goes out, and when you breathe out, it goes in," said student Mia Padilla. "It helps me calm down when I'm excited."
It's all part of Frameworks of Tampa Bay's commitment to train, coach and support educators when it comes to social and emotional learning.
"It's amazing when they are able to articulate how they are feeling and really verbalize with their body and words what they are going through and what they are looking forward to," said Charese Cook, Senior SEL Program Specialist with Frameworks.
The Frameworks team will visit 70 schools a year, introducing new and innovative ways to build a child's emotional vocabulary.
"I think now more than ever our kids are facing a climate of a lot of uncertainties, and we need to be able to connect with one another," said Cook.
"They go straight into the classroom, so it's on job site training for our teachers, and our teachers are really open to having them come in. In fact, they beg for Frameworks to come in and work with them," said assistant principal Suzanne Mizzi.
Over in 5th grade, students are practicing giving and receiving compliments from one another.
"You can think you are not fun, but you are actually fun because people really like you. They give you compliments," said student Anari Scott.
Frameworks said it was an honor for their dedication within these schools to be recognized by the Super Bowl LV Host Committee's Legacy Program, Forever 55.
They are one of 28 nonprofits across Tampa Bay to receive a $10,000 grant.
However, they said it's the students who are the real winners.
"The Super Bowl may be leaving the Tampa Bay community, but social and emotional learning is going to be present year after year as students transfer from one grade to another," said Cook.
For more information, go to myframeworks.org.