Student Athletes Join The Alliance In Virtual Town Hall

The ALLIANCE: Los Angeles held its virtual Town Hall kickoff event with student athletes from View Park High School and LA Promise Charter High School. This event introduced attendees to The Alliance Student Leadership Program that will be available to students at these two schools. Leaders from the 11 pro sports organizations that form The Alliance attended.

Also attending were Olympian Gwen Berry and former NFL and UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin, who currently serves as Director of Social Justice & Football Development for the Los Angeles Rams. Both shared their stories, as well as lessons learned through their involvement in sports and working in communities.

The Alliance and the Play Equity Fund have facilitated the Student Leadership Program, which uses sports as an entryway to leadership and advocacy for student athletes. The semester-long program develops changemakers who will build community power and affect systems.

The program’s curriculum was co-created by the Brotherhood Crusade and the Community Coalition. Curriculum objectives include training participants in organizing and identifying social issues to address, facilitating students’ understanding of community conditions and the systems that perpetuate inequality, fostering an advocate mindset and the knowledge and confidence to engage with policymakers, and gaining inspiration from fellow student athletes and professional athletes.