THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION AND DR PEPPER LAUNCH ANNUAL GO TEACH TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR MORE STUDENTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION AND DR PEPPER LAUNCH
ANNUAL GO TEACH TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR MORE STUDENTS
Program Eligibility Expands to include Student-Athletes of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Football Subdivision Conferences and the University of Notre Dame
IRVING, Texas, Sept. 21, 2022 – Focused on improving diversity in the teaching workforce, the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and Dr Pepper today announced the launch of the annual Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway. This year, the program is expanding to invite eligible student-athlete applicants from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) alongside 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences (FBS) and the University of Notre Dame.
The program will award nearly a half-million dollars in tuition grants to 150 students, with each receiving $2,500 in financial aid. A $10,000 grand prize will also be awarded to 11 student-athletes whose application and reason for teaching stood out among all recipients. In total, this year’s grants will triple the number of student-athletes who will receive tuition grants from the program’s inaugural year.
Each institution submitted nominations for the grants, and recipients of the awards were announced on the CFP Foundation’s Big Day for Teachers, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, as part of its Extra Yard for Teachers Week festivities. The grand prize winners will be announced in December during the week of conference football championship games. All honorees will be formally announced and celebrated in January prior to the 2023 CFP National Championship in Los Angeles.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), approximately 20 percent of U.S. educators are teachers of color, while students of color make up more than half of the overall population of all K-12 schools. NCES studies also suggest that students of all races benefit from being taught by educators of color because they bring distinctive knowledge, experience and role modeling to all students.
The Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway, launched in 2020, supports the CFP Foundation’s effort to place qualified teachers in classrooms across the nation. Together, Dr Pepper and the CFP Foundation will award a total of $1.5 million over six years, providing the 10 FBS conference partners (American, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, SEC and Sun Belt), as well as Notre Dame and HBCUs, with resources that will support and recognize student-athletes who are pursuing careers in education.
“This has been an amazing program and we are grateful for the support from Dr Pepper,” said Britton Banowsky, executive director of the CFP Foundation. “There is a shortage of teachers in America, and we’ve learned that student-athletes make great teachers. Providing financial supports will go a long way in ensuring they find their way to the classroom.”
“The rebuilding of a national Black Teacher Pipeline takes thoughtful, deliberate investments,” said Sherif El-Mekki of the Center for Black Educator Development. “We are grateful and excited to know that Dr Pepper and the College Football Playoff Foundation will award scholarship dollars to 18 HBCU college scholar–athletes committing to teaching and leading classrooms upon graduation. HBCUs have always played a critical role in developing Black teachers, honing the Black Teaching Traditions and promoting cultural proficiency. Today is no different, and each of these future HBCU graduates will positively impact hundreds of students. #WeNeedBlackTeachers.”
John Alvarado, Senior Vice President of Dr Pepper Brand Marketing said, “The Dr Pepper community has a long history of supporting education through tuition programs and college sports. We are proud to partner with CFP to help student-athletes of all backgrounds follow their dreams from the field into the classroom.”
The CFP Foundation is the largest sports entity supporting K-12 education in America. For more information about the CFP Foundation, visit cfp-foundation.org.
About the College Football Playoff Foundation
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation is the 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving as the community engagement arm of the College Football Playoff and works in partnership with institutions of higher education, sports organizations, corporations and non-profits to support educators and improve student outcomes. The purpose of the CFP Foundation lies in supporting PK-12 education by elevating the teaching profession. The CFP Foundation inspires and empowers educators by focusing its work in four areas: recognition, resources, recruitment and retention, and professional development. To learn more, visit cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard) on social media.
About Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper, a brand of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), is the oldest major soft drink in the United States. Since 1885, the 23 flavors of Dr Pepper have earned legions of fans that enjoy its unique, refreshing taste. The brand is available in Regular, Diet, Caffeine Free, Cherry, Cream Soda and Zero Sugar varieties. For more information, visit DrPepper.com or keurigdrpepper.com. For the brand’s latest news and updates, follow Dr Pepper at Facebook.com/DrPepper, Twitter.com/DrPepper, and Instagram /drpepper.