The USTA Foundation has partnered with several leading sports and education organizations for a National Day of Learning, an upcoming free event for middle- and high-school students around the country.
The all-day virtual event, scheduled for May 14, aims to enrich the learning experience for students across the country who have faced many challenges this academic year due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic via panels and speaker spotlights. The event expected to engage with more than 50,000 students through NJTL chapters and other participating organizations, including Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools and 300 additional high schools from around the country.
Joining the USTA Foundation in this effort is the Carol Kimmelman Athletic and Academic Campus, a world-class athletic and academic facility envisioned to transform the lives of countless youth in Los Angeles; TGR Foundation, A Tiger Woods Charity; and The Winward Academy, an award-winning e-learning platform.
To introduce tennis to a new student population in a creative and fun way, the USTA Foundation and the USTA national staff has developed a "Let’s Tennis” session to ensure that their first experience with the sport is fun and unforgettable. Hosted by Rodney Rikai, “Let’s Tennis” will get kids out of their seats and moving with high-energy tennis activities and a fun TikTok challenge. Students will also have the unique experience of peeking into the lives of the pros at the US Open, learn about careers in tennis with Serena Williams’ hitting partner, Jarmere Jenkins and get advice on how to “eat like a champion” from Tara Collingswood, dietician for the Orlando Magic NBA team and nutrition consultant to the USTA.
The USTA Foundation is also inviting students to join the #TennisEveryway TikTok Challenge. All you need is a TikTok account, a random object, and a tennis ball—or anything that can substitute as a tennis ball. For inspiration, please check out these videos by visiting https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tenniseveryway. People can publish their own version of the challenge to TikTok using the tag #TennisEveryway and @USTA in their copy.
“The National Day of Learning goes hand-in-hand with the USTA Foundation’s mission of changing lives through the powerful combination of tennis and education,” said Dan Faber, Executive Director, USTA Foundation. “By joining forces with the Kimmelman Foundation, TGR Foundation, Windward Academy, and our charitable donors, we will enrich the educational experience for thousands of students, while presenting tennis in an entertaining manner to help recruit and engage new players to our sport.”
The event is also expected to include a special welcome from Tiger Woods, a fireside chat with staff and executives from the 2020 NBA champion LA Lakers, panel and hands-on activities in STEM, as well as a conversation with first-generation college students aimed at high schoolers ready to take the next step in their education. The panels will begin at 9 a.m. Pacific and 12 p.m. Eastern.
Click here to view the full outline for the event, and here to register.