November 14, 2022
Bogotá, Colombia - Learn Fresh and MLB Players Trust concluded the inaugural season of MLB Players STEM League programming in November with championship tournaments in Colombia through a partnership with Project Béisbol.
The tournaments were hosted as part of baseball-focused community events for students in the Colombian cities of Bogotá and Cúcuta, and were the culmination of the first season of STEM League programming in Colombia and Latin America more broadly.
Launched in partnership with MLB Players Trust, MLB Players STEM League is a baseball-inspired program for middle-school-age youth. The program combines the excitement of the sport with a board game and curriculum that cultivate students' math and social-emotional skills. Through a partnership with Project Beisbol, Learn Fresh and MLB Players Trust have extended MLB Players STEM League to students in the Colombian cities of Cúcuta and Bogotá.
Project Béisbol is a nonprofit organization that aims to develop sustainable baseball and softball programs for boys and girls that empower young leaders and foment social change in Latin America. Project Béisbol programs support youth in vulnerable communities through equipment donations, high-quality instruction, exchange programs, educational workshops, and leadership programs.
This first season of STEM League Colombia programming took place through the late summer and fall of 2022, and finished with the tournaments in Cúcuta on November 6th and Bogota on November 7th. Denzel Smith, Learn Fresh Director of Baseball and Emerging Programs, emceed the tournaments, which featured video appearances by Harold Ramirez of the Tampa Bay Rays and Jose Quintana of the St. Louis Cardinals. Both players are Colombian natives– Ramirez hails from Cartagen and Quintana was born in Arjona–and the pair offered words of encouragement to students while stressing good sportsmanship.
The tournament event provided an opportunity for students to meet peers in their community and to practice fundamental math and social-emotional skills through gameplay of the STEM League board game, along with physical baseball drills and team play.
STEM League programming currently serves students in California, Arizona, Texas, Oahu (Hawaii), Florida, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico, as well as the Bahamas and Colombia. Learn Fresh and MLB Players Trust plan to expand the program for the 2023 season and will host educator training sessions in the spring.
For more information about MLB Players STEM League and Learn Fresh Colombia programs, reach out to sumner@learnfresh.org
