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AFH University Expands to New Campus

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AFH University Expands to New Campus

Posted: Updated: by kReeves

WASHINGTON, D.C. – [August 27, 2024] Athletes for Hope (AFH) is proud to announce the launch of its AFH University program at American University (AU), set to empower student-athletes to become leaders in community engagement and social impact.

The AFH University program at American will provide student-athletes with valuable tools and opportunities to leverage their platforms for positive change. Through educational workshops, leadership development, and facilitated volunteer opportunities, student-athletes will gain skills that benefit them both in and out of their sport. 

The partnership officially kicked off on August 6 with an AFH Empowerment workshop for the American University men’s basketball team, marking the beginning of a transformative journey for the university’s student-athletes. AFH facilitated a second Empowerment Workshop with women’s soccer on August 23 and in addition to these two teams, AFH U will work with women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse and wrestling this upcoming fall semester.

Group photo of American men's basketball after AFH's Empowerment workshop.
American Men’s Basketball after an Empowerment Workshop
Group photo of American women's soccer after AFH's Empowerment workshop.
American Women’s Soccer after an Empowerment Workshop
American men's basketball participating in an AFH U Empowerment workshop
AU Eagles basketball players engage in a conversation about using their platforms for good during the workshop.
American Women's soccer participating in an AFH U Empowerment workshop
AU Eagles soccer players participating in the Empowerment workshop.

“We’re thrilled to bring the AFH University program to American,” said AFH CEO Jason Belinkie. “This collaboration will equip American’s student-athletes with the resources and opportunities to make a significant impact in their community while developing crucial leadership skills that will serve them throughout their athletic careers and beyond.”

AFH’s goals for this program is to empower American University student-athletes by connecting them with local community partners and guiding them in discovering the causes they are passionate about. This initiative will provide impactful volunteer opportunities, enabling students to use their skills and passion to meet genuine community needs. AFH is committed to supporting the ongoing community efforts of American student-athletes with partners like DC Central Kitchen and Potomac Conservancy, while also introducing them to new organizations.

“Our student-athletes are passionate about being active in the community around us, and this partnership with Athletes for Hope will help align those opportunities for them to help make a difference,” said AU’s Director of Athletics & Recreation JM Caparro. “As a department, we want to build leaders both on and off the field of play, and I appreciate Jason and his team for playing a pivotal role in the development of our student-athletes.”

The AFH University program at American adds to the organization’s growing presence in the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area, which includes existing programs at Georgetown University, Howard University, and Bowie State University. This expansion creates opportunities for collaborative impact across the region’s universities.

To learn more about the AFH University program, please visit our program page.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Kylie Barlowe at kbarlowe@athletesforhope.org. 

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About Athletes for Hope

Founded by Muhammad Ali, Andre Agassi, Mia Hamm, and nine other elite athletes in 2006, Athletes for Hope (AFH) is a national non-profit that educates, encourages, and empowers athletes to find their passions and use their time to positively engage with their communities. Over the past 18 years, AFH has educated more than 12,000 professional, Olympic, Paralympic, and collegiate athletes through its Causeway workshop series, and helped athletes volunteer with hundreds of underserved schools and impactful community organizations. Through their dedication and passion for doing good, AFH athletes have positively impacted the lives of millions around the world.

2023-2024 AFH University Award Winners

Posted: Updated: by kReeves

After the completion of this year’s AFH U Student-Athlete of the Year and Team of the Year national voting campaign, featuring seven student-athletes and seven teams from AFH University, we are thrilled to announce this year’s winners! We are also proud to announce this year’s AFH University Pass the Passion awardees to one student-athlete and one team, chosen by last year’s winners.

Read about their work below and join us in congratulating them on going above and beyond in service over the past academic year.

AFH University Student-Athlete of the Year

Ckelby Givens headshot

Ckelby Givens, Southern Football

Ckelby was eager to join the mental health panel focused on Black history to discuss his upbringing experiences and the absence of discussions aimed at dismantling stigma within his community. His goal is to alter that narrative on the Southern University campus.

AFH University Team of the Year

Clark Atlanta Women’s Basketball

The Clark Atlanta Women’s Basketball team hosted 15 children from the Harland Boys and Girls Club along with three chaperones and gave them a “day in the life” experience. Women’s Basketball along with the Spirit Booster Club showed the kids what a day in the life of a CAU student-athlete is like. The kids from the club were able to spend time with the student-athletes and get to know them and ask questions about what being a collegiate athlete is like. They also spent the game with the Spirit Boosters who showed them different cheers and encouraged them to engage with fans and have fun!

Team photo of Clark Atlanta Women's Basketball

AFH University Pass the Passion Student-Athlete of the Year

Zion Walters standing outside and smiling

Zion Walters, Clark Atlanta Women’s Basketball

For the entire first semester of the school year, Zion attended the Harland Boys and Girls Club weekly to hang out with the kids. In the month of December, she worked tirelessly to help the kids choreograph a dance to perform at their Holiday Party. She worked with the kids for over a month to get the dance perfect to perform in front of all of the staff, kids, and families at the club.

AFH University Pass the Passion Team of the Year

Team photo of Howard Women's lacrosse

Howard Women’s Lacrosse

Throughout the spring semester, Howard Women’s Lacrosse visited DCPCS – Brightwood campus to conduct CHAMPS sessions. They helped with four sessions with 2nd and 4th graders to discuss the words of month: Courage and Honesty. The consistent visits were invaluable to the children at the school and the women on the team have attended with such excitement and commitment.

April AFH University Monthly Awards

Posted: Updated: by kReeves

Please join us in congratulating our April 2024 Team and Student-Athlete of the Month winners!

AFH U April Student-Athlete of the Month

Rosie Deegan, Davidson Women’s Basketball

Rosie has been extremely active in the Davidson community this semester. Not only did she participate in March’s Mental Health U Panel series that focused on mental health in female athletes but she has been going twice a week to the Ada Jenkins Center. Each week, since March, Rosie has gone into the center twice a week to tutor and mentor two students at the club. Her time and commitment to mentoring the youth in Davidson, NC has been instrumental in the development of the children at Ada Jenkins!

AFH U April Team of the Month

Southern Volleyball

Southern Volleyball volunteered at Jags on the Bluff, a community-wide field day held on their campus. Student-athletes actively engaged with youth by facilitating stations, sharing their college experience, and leading them through a game of volleyball!

2024 AFH University End of Year Recognition

Posted: Updated: by kReeves

For AFH University, the culmination of the academic year isn’t just marked by final exams and graduation ceremonies. It’s a time to honor the dedication, skill, and spirit of our student-athletes, coaches, and valued community partners who have consistently come together to make their communities stronger over the last year.

In April, we were proud to host two events to recognize these groups in the Baton Rouge and the Greater Washington, D.C. Area communities! Check out the recaps below and join us in congratulating each campus in all of their amazing work this year.

Keep an eye out for our AFH University National Student-Athlete & Team of the Year Awards voting campaign in early June!

Teams of the Year

  • LSU Men’s Tennis
  • Southern Bowling
  • Georgetown Women’s Rowing
  • Howard Women’s Lacrosse
  • Bowie State Track & Field

Student Athlete of the Year

  • Madison Martin, LSU Volleyball
  • Cailan Gatlin, Southern Soccer

Coach of the Year

  • Kerry Mulligan, Georgetown Women’s Rowing
  • Alexis Joseph, Howard Women’s Lacrosse
  • Amandji Goito, Bowie St. Track & Field

Community Partners of the Year

AFH University Baton Rouge | LSU & Southern University

On Thursday, April 11th the Athletes for Hope University team in Baton Rouge gathered to celebrate the remarkable achievements in service of student athletes from Southern University and LSU. We used the evening to shine a light on those who not only excelled on the field or court but have also demonstrated an unwavering commitment to serving the Baton Rouge community. The celebratory event was a testament to the power of sport to unite us, inspire us, and drive positive change. According to AFH Southern intern, Ashante Gatlin “Our role and impact in the community are beacons of light for fans and young aspiring athletes.”

Our Student-Athlete of the Year awardees have engaged in several initiatives throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. Cailan played a pivotal role in our inclusive 9/11 Arc events, assisting with ensuring emergency preparedness activities were informative yet fun for youth.

She dedicated numerous hours volunteering at institutions like OLOL Children’s Hospital, BR Food Bank, St. Vincent De Paul, and The Walls Project.

“Doing service in the community is super important because we should take every chance, we can to better the environment that we all live in. Receiving this reward today means a lot to me because it tells me that all of the work, I’ve put into volunteering has not gone unnoticed.”

– Cailan Gatlin, Southern Soccer

Madison Martin, LSU Volleyball team, has also been at the forefront of community service initiatives in Baton Rouge. She participated in on-campus service socials, MLK Day of Service, and A Night to Shine, among others.

“Receiving Athletes for Hope Student Athlete of the Year is such an incredible honor, as service means so much to me. Baton Rouge has become my second home, and being able to serve this wonderful community has made my time at LSU so much more meaningful. Being recognized by Athletes for Hope for what I love to do off the court is an amazing honor.”

-Madison Martin, LSU Volleyball

Our partnership with this year’s recipient of the Partner of the Year award, The Walls Project has been our most enduring collaboration to date, spanning several years of engagement with student athletes actively participating in local initiatives such as MLK Day since 2015. In 2021, we dedicated a mural in remembrance of September 11th, a tribute now displayed at Fire Station 11 on Highland Road.

AFH University Washington, D.C.-Area | Bowie State, Howard & Georgetown

On Thursday, April 25 the Athletes for Hope University team in Washington DC gathered to celebrate all the wonderful work that was done during the 2023-2024 school year.  Not only were the student-athletes of our DC schools actively involved, but the coaches also played a large role in getting involved as well.  This event was meant to celebrate the passion and commitment of the student-athletes and coaches in the DC community.

Our Teams and Coaches of the Year at each of the schools consistently engaged in service within the community.  Georgetown Women’s Rowing focused on park clean-ups in Washington DC and the surrounding area.  Their coach, Kerry Mulligan, was integral in leading the team and encouraging them to get out and volunteer.  Howard Women’s Lacrosse spent the entire spring semester putting on CHAMPS sessions at DCPCS Brightwood Campus.  The team and their coach, Alexis Joseph, went twice a week for the entire semester to spend time with the kids and team them our CHAMPS curriculum.  Bowie State Track & Field was the school’s most active team, participating in panels, workshops, and volunteer opportunities throughout the Bowie community.  They actively worked on projects supporting food insecurity by attending an MLK Day event with the Bowie State Nutrition Lounge where they packed over 1,300 meals for families in the community. 

This year’s Washington DC Community Partners of the Year showed why the work we do matters.  Grassroots Health, Bowie St. Nutrition Lounge, and DCPCS Brightwood were all steadfast partners to AFH U.  Each organization welcomed our student-athletes and encouraged them to continue coming into their programs.  We look forward to our continued work with all of them.

Athletes in Action

Posted: Updated: by Hannah Bronkema

AFH University Spring 2024 Roundup

Developed in 2013, our AFH University program helps college athletes explore leadership, life skill development, advocacy, their role in the community, and how to discover their philanthropic passions. 

This spring our student-athletes combined their efforts to create lasting positive change in their communities!

Athletes from Davidson College, Georgetown, Southern University, Howard, and LSU visited elementary schools, children’s hospitals, miracle leagues, and more! Read about all of their springtime service efforts below.

Davidson College

Continuing The Mission

The women of the Davidson field hockey team went to Continuing the Mission, which is a comprehensive assistance for veterans providing assistance dogs and support. 

Since 2023, the team has been going each week to assist with letting the dogs out, playing with them, and helping them socialize before they get adopted out to veterans.

Ada Jenkins Center

This spring, members of the Davidson football team visited the Ada Jenkins Center during enrichment time to put on CHAMPS lessons.

Additionally, Rosie Deegan of the Davidson women’s basketball team visited the Ada Jenkins Center to mentor students at the club.

Mental Health U

In Episode 2 of Mental Health U, Sara Keane, Assistant Director of AFH University at Athletes for Hope, moderates a conversation surrounding women’s mental health in the student-athlete space.

Joined by Rosie Deegan of Davidson College women’s basketball and Helen Feldmeth of Georgetown women’s rowing the three discuss the effects of social media on student-athlete mental health, how to use your experience as an athlete to empower other women, the fulfillment they have found in giving back and more!

Watch Mental Health U Episode 2: Women’s History Month here.

Georgetown

CHAMPS Program

Members of the Georgetown women’s rowing made continuous visits to HD Cooke Elementary where they reinforced the importance of physical activity and children’s mental wellness through CHAMPS lessons.

During their visits this spring, children learned how to foster a positive mindset as the student-athletes encouraged them to uplift themselves and their classmates even when it may be hard to do.

Southern University

Progress Elementary

This spring, members of the Southern tennis and track & field teams visited Progress Elementary School where they volunteered with the kindergarten PE class.

Both the student-athletes and the children had so much fun during this visit. From learning fun, new ways to stay active and the importance of teamwork, there was no shortage of smiles throughout the day.

Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital

Every other week different student-athletes from various Southern University teams spend their time at OLOL Children’s Hospital. Through these frequent visits, the student-athletes can create meaningful connections that the patients can look forward to each week!

During their latest visit, members of the Southern soccer and golf teams visited OLOL Children’s Hospital to help host trivia in the activities room and share a few smiles with patients who were able to leave their rooms.

Howard University

CHAMPS Program

This spring, members of the Howard women’s lacrosse team visited DCPCS Brightwood to reinforce the importance of physical activity and children’s mental wellness through a CHAMPS lesson for 2nd and 4th graders at the school.

Louisiana State University (LSU)

Read Across America

Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. This year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources that are about everyone, for everyone.

To celebrate Read Across America Day, members of the LSU football team visited Cedarcrest Southmoor in Baton Rouge where they read their favorite children’s books to elementary classes.

Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital

Every other week different student-athletes from various LSU teams spend their time at OLOL Children’s Hospital. Through these frequent visits, the student-athletes can create meaningful connections that the patients can look forward to each week!

Members of the LSU baseball team visited OLOL Children’s Hospital where they surprised patients with in-room visits, handed out and autographed baseballs and ended their trip by hosting trivia in the activities room. A special shoutout to LSU baseball players Griffin Herring, Brady Neal, Chase Shores and Jared Jones who took time out of their busy spring season prep to spread smiles!

Additionally, members of the LSU track and field team visited OLOL Children’s Hospital where they played trivia and spent time with hanging out with children at the hospital in the activities room.

The Miracle League of Louisiana

The Miracle League of Louisiana is a registered non-profit organization that gives children with any type of disability or special needs the opportunity to play baseball as part of a team and an organized league.

Members of the LSU track and field team volunteered at the Miracle League where they were “buddies” to the players. Miracle League Buddies are assigned a player for each game. The buddy is there to protect the player from balls, assist the player in batting and running the bases (if needed), and to be a friend on and off the field!

With the spring 2024 semester nearing its end, we are grateful for our AFH University student-athletes who are continuing to make an impact in their communities each day. It is the relationships formed during these service opportunities that provide the greatest impact and allow our student-athletes to grow in their leadership and philanthropic skills.

Athletes in Action

Posted: Updated: by Hannah Bronkema

AFH University February 2024 Roundup

Developed in 2013, our AFH University program helps college athletes explore leadership, life skill development, advocacy, their role in the community, and how to discover their philanthropic passions. 

While February came and went in a flash, our student-athletes dedicated as much time as possible to giving back to their communities in meaningful ways.

Athletes from Davidson College, Southern University, Bowie State, Georgetown, and LSU engaged in Valentine’s Day card making, various panel discussions, celebrating Black History Month and more!

Davidson College

Continuing The Mission

The women of the Davidson field hockey team spent time at Continuing the Mission, a comprehensive assistance for veterans that provides assistance dogs and support. 

Since 2023, the team has been volunteering at Continuing the Mission where they take the dogs out, play with them, and help them socialize before they get adopted out to the veterans.

Mental Health U

During Black History Month, AFH University student-athletes from Davidson College and Southern University took part in the launch of AFH’s brand new AFH University panel series titled Mental Health U.

In Episode 1: Black History Month, the student-athletes discussed the importance of speaking out about mental health and breaking the stigma of mental health in the black community.

Hear about the mental health resources the student-athletes use on and off campus, the importance of having people you can talk to, how the stigma of mental health is changing, and more here.

Southern University

Valentine’s Day Project

This year for Valentine’s Day, student-athletes at Southern University helped spread the love as they hosted a card-making station where others could come and create cards for patients at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.

Once completed, the cards were hand-delivered to the hospital in time for Valentine’s Day where they were given to patients.

Black History Month Essay Contest

This year AFH partnered with the athletic departments at Southern University and Bowie State for our Black History Month Essay Contest. The contest asked high schoolers in their communities to share a story of an African American who has been an inspiration to them.

The winners from each community captured the power of perseverance and dedication in their essays. You can read both of the winning essays and learn more about this year’s winners here.

Bowie State

CHAMPS Program

In September 2023 Athletes for Hope revamped its AFH Fit and H.E.A.R.T. Curriculum to create the CHAMPS Program. CHAMPS brings athletes to underserved elementary school classrooms to teach them invaluable mental health and leadership skills alongside physical activity exercises. 

This February student-athletes from Bowie State SAAC visited Perrywood Elementary School to put on a CHAMPS session with the children at the school. CHAMPS participants were taken through workouts, a mental health Mindfulness activity and more!

CIAA Panel Series

Members of Bowie State SAAC had the pleasure of visiting the Under Armour Headquarters where they participated in a series of panel discussions with Deloitte CEO of Consulting Dan Helfrich where they discussed a day in the life of a student-athlete with high school students.

Photos Courtesy of Deloitte

The panelists kept the conversation light while providing insight on barriers to access of sport, adjusting to collegiate athletic life, how sports prepare you for professional work life, and more!

Georgetown

Night to Shine

Over 40 Georgetown student-athletes attended a Night to Shine in Washington DC. Night to Shine is a prom night experience for individuals 14 and older who have special needs and is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Louisiana State University (LSU)

Black History Month Movie

February is a time when AFH University student-athletes come together to celebrate, honor, and preserve Back history.

This year during Black History Month, student-athletes at LSU hosted a movie night for their campus that honored black movie directors. Eventgoers enjoyed a myriad of movies and sparked up conversations about the contributions of the Black community to film and television.

Spring is just around the corner for our student-athletes and we cannot wait to see how they will positively impact their communities!