The NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and the English Premier League’s Chelsea Football Club are partnering through their community-focused subsidiaries to bring STEAM education to London next month.
The free, two-day clinic for 10- and 11-year-old children will take place on April 25 and 26 at famed Stamford Bridge, the home stadium of Chelsea, which has won two of the last three Premier League championships. The clinic will include instruction in the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.
Teachers from the 49ers’ education consulting venture, EDU Academy, will visit London for the program that will apply STEAM principles to American football, as they relate to the sport’s equipment and game play. A second collaborative event will take place in the Bay Area at a later date.
“With the successful launch, growth, and future outlook of 49ers EDU, we’re honored to expand our education platform abroad in partnership with Chelsea FC Foundation to bring concepts of STEAM and American football to London children,” Jesse Lovejoy, 49ers EDU director and EDU Academy managing partner, said in a press release. “To join forces with an accomplished sports organization that values educational advancement as much as the 49ers do, it is not only a great partnership for EDU Academy but the beginning of a longstanding cross-continental relationship to grow education opportunities for youth in sport.”
The 49ers educational venture previously partnered with online education program Khan Academy and included more than 210,000 students since its inception in 2014.
Hosting the event is The Chelsea Foundation, which sponsors a wide variety of charitable, environmental, educational and youth sporting initiatives.
“The Chelsea Foundation’s commitment to science, technology, engineering and math has grown rapidly over the last couple of years, following the successful delivery of our Digital Camps and Digital Blue program at Stamford Bridge,” said Matt Mead, Chelsea Foundation’s head of education. “We are excited and proud to be collaborating with the San Francisco 49ers Foundation and EDU Academy, to benefit West London students, via an innovative and pioneering program, that brings together two global leading STEAM advocates through sport and education.”