PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 20, 2021 – Learn Fresh announced today that it received a $10,000 grant from Truist Foundation to support the further development of EcoTour, a new STEAM program that engages students in financial and environmental literacy through the lens of the live music industry.
“EcoTour as a concept has been in development for the past two years, and we are excited to be wrapping up a product prototype in advance of a Spring 2022 pilot program with students and educators in the Lean Fresh network,” said Learn Fresh CEO & Co-Founder Nick Monzi. “The program will provide a unique interdisciplinary learning experience and fill a prominent gap in curricula and materials that engage students in applied environmental and financial literacy.”
The grant will fund a prototype of the EcoTour game experience in advance of a pilot program in Spring 2022. Through the game experience, students will work to design and plan a North American tour for their favorite musical artist while exploring all aspects of the tour planning process, from route selection and creative design to budgeting. Students will examine each step of the project through environmental and financial lenses, building key STEAM skills and frameworks for understanding the impacts of human economic activity.
EcoTour will target students in grades 7-12, with an explicit focus on serving students from low-income communities and communities of color through program and implementation partnerships. A goal of the program will be to provide exposure to the real-world applications of STEAM subjects and career opportunities in the live music and entertainment industries.
“Learn Fresh creates and delivers compelling education programs that spark interest, inspire learning and introduce opportunities to youth,” said Travis Rhodes, Delaware Valley/Lehigh Valley regional president for Truist, speaking on behalf of the Truist Foundation. “This grant will help provide engaging content to schools across the U.S. and introduce students to concepts they can apply in their lives, careers and communities.”
About Learn Fresh
Through community, play, and rigorous exploration, Learn Fresh programs leverage students' passion for sports and entertainment to inspire their STEM and social-emotional learning. Learn Fresh seeks to combat racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps in STEM education by improving engagement and achievement among low-income students and students of color. The organization's programs include NBA Math Hoops, First & 10, and Math Hits, and STEM Goals—all use a sports game, curriculum, and community program model to foster fundamental math and social-emotional learning. Since its founding in 2012, Learn Fresh have served over 400,000 students nationally in grades 3-8, and has trained over 4,000 educators, 93 percent of whom serve primarily low-income students. The organization works in partnership with 27 teams across the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and other professional sports leagues, leveraging league and team brands to engage students with fun, effective, and culturally-relevant learning at no cost to students, teachers, or schools.
About Truist Foundation
The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn mmore at Truist.com/Foundation.
