The NBA and State Farm are continuing the work that started with their State Farm Assist Tracker program, six seasons ago. The initiative turns on-court NBA assists into off-court support for STEAM learning and technology in classrooms and after-school programs across the county by donating $5 for every assist made.
In the 2020-21 NBA regular season, over $265,000 in grants to assist STEAM technology was awarded. Those funds went toward refurbishments including computers, prints, outdoor gardens, and science spaces at seven schools and after-school programs across the country. Those programs include Boys & Girls Club of Tucson (Tucson, AZ), Carver STEM Academy (Detroit, MI), Cesar Chavez K-8 School (Portland, OR), John P. Parker School (Cincinnati, OH), Robert R. Church Elementary (Memphis, TN), Southside STEM Academy at Campostella (Norfolk, VA) and West Park STEM Academy (Chicago, IL).
Additionally, during this year’s NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta, State Farm donated $1,900 for every assist recorded in the game – reflective of the more than 19,000 local State Farm agents – toward scholarship funding for HBCU students through UNCF (United Negro College Fund) as part of the Assist Tracker Program.
To be eligible for the grant, each of the programs completed the Assist Tracker program’s new, five-lesson experience in partnership with Learn Fresh, which introduces students to the real-life applications of STEAM topics and engages them to be better citizens in their organization and local communities. The lessons included:
- SCIENCE: The Forces Acting on a Basketball + COMMUNITY: Positive Forces in the Community
- TECHNOLOGY: Data Tracking Technology + COMMUNITY: Enhancing Your Community with Technology
- ENGINEERING: Adapting to a Changing Climate + COMMUNITY: Geoengineering for Your Community
- ART: Art on the Court + COMMUNITY: Representing Your Community
- MATH: Identifying Clutch Players + COMMUNITY: Identify Key Contributors in Your Community
Each school will utilize their respective grant to scale their STEAM programs and further engage their students and communities.
