The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation awards $87,940 grant to Science of Sport

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) announced today that it will expand its Science of Baseball curriculum through an additional $87,940 grant to Science of Sport (SOS). The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Science of Baseball curriculum will provide hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum and programming to elementary and middle school teachers and students in Los Angeles. The grant will impact over 6,000 students and 60 teachers by utilizing baseball examples to improve student interest and performance in STEM.

The LADF Science of Baseball curriculum was launched in the Inglewood Unified School District in 2018 and trained 22 teachers to implement the curriculum in 3rd- 5th grade classrooms. As part of LADF’s continued commitment to STEM funding, the new grant will support the LADF Science of Baseball Curriculum expansion for 6th - 8th grade and will continue to be implemented in the Inglewood Unified School District for the 2019-2020 school year and soon expand to additional districts.

“Baseball is an incredible textbook and this curriculum brings the game to life,” said Nichol Whiteman, LADF CEO. “This is one of our most significant investments in STEM through our grantmaking program. We believe that in order to improve diversity in STEM professions, it is crucial that we go into the most underserved and diverse communities of Los Angeles to educate our young people and spark curiosity in these subjects.”

The grant to Science of Sport will also include teacher trainings for faculty from Inglewood Unified School District and additional school districts. SOS will develop 60 kits for use in classrooms and will provide a web portal for teachers to access supplementary materials such as videos, photos, worksheets, and baseball data sources to teach the lessons.

“This grant will allow us to broaden the impact of the Dodgers Foundation Science of Baseball program to more students, teachers, and schools in Los Angeles,” said Dr. Ricardo Valerdi, founder and Chief Scientist of Science of Sport. “The objective is the same: to leverage the love of sports to make math and science even more fun and engaging by teaching students about home runs, base running, batting averages, and nutrition.”

Also included in the curriculum is a planning packet containing four Dodgers-themed projects and a culminating STEM Showcase/Field Trip hosted at Dodger Stadium.

SOS and LADF have also created a traveling Science of Baseball pop up exhibit that will be featured at various community events, including Dodgers Dreamfields and Dodgers RBI. The pop up exhibit features interactive activities that focus on the Science of Baseball program.

In fall 2019, LADF will break ground on its newest Dodgers Dreamfield project at Gonzales Park in the city of Compton and will also infuse the Science of Baseball and incorporate elements of STEM throughout the project.

About the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation:

Founded in 1995 as the official charity of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is bigger than baseball, envisioning a city where every young Angeleno, regardless of neighborhood, has the opportunity to thrive. For young Angelenos with limited access to education, sports and healthcare, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is a champion that increases the quality of life and confidence of the people we serve by using our historic Dodger brand and the power of sport to run and fund proven programs — at a time when a quality education, youth sports and health care are increasingly reserved for the elite. With the support of partners, stakeholders and fans, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation produces incredible results on fields, in classrooms and at recreation centers, creating Major League Communities.

Visit LADF online at www.dodgers.com/ladf, follow them on Twitter, @DodgersFdn, Instagram @dodgersfoundation and like them on Facebook at /LosAngelesDodgersFoundation

About Science of Sport:

Science of Sport is a non-profit dedicated to developing curriculum and programming that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Our programs are designed to bring math and science to life through hands-on learning by providing engaging programs for students and teachers.