The NFL Foundation, the NY/NJ Snowflake Youth Foundation, and TEAM Charter Schools Announce $225,000 Grant to Construct Athletic Field at Rise Academy in Newark

NEWARK, NJ--(Marketwired - Mar 26, 2014) - TEAM Charter Schools, the region of KIPP schools in Newark and Camden, New Jersey, announced today that it has received a $225,000 grant from the NFL Foundation and the NY/NJ Snowflake Youth Foundation, the charitable arm of the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee, to help finance the construction of an artificial turf football and soccer field at TEAM's Rise Academy in Newark's West Ward. The new facility will allow students to participate in healthy outdoor activities on a more suitable surface than blacktop, as well as enable them to participate in previously unavailable organized sports. The grant is part of the NFL's NY/NJ Super Bowl Legacy program.

"This field will be an extremely positive addition to the neighborhood and the community," said Ryan Hill, CEO of TEAM Charter Schools. "Thanks to the NFL and the Super Bowl Host Committee, our kids will have the chance to play team sports in a safe and high-quality facility and Newark's West Ward will see an area of vacant lots and abandoned buildings transformed into a beautiful community resource."

The neighborhood around the school is lacking in usable outdoor recreational space, making the need for such a facility especially great. TEAM expects to break ground later this year.

"Our students are so excited for this field to be built," said Drew Martin, School Leader of Rise Academy. "Exercise is an important part of our efforts to get our kids ready to succeed through college and beyond. Activities on this field will be a great complement to our academic and character-building curriculum as we develop engaged, well-rounded scholars."

The facility will be a key resource for students throughout the TEAM Charter Schools network, and will also be open to partner community organizations. The construction of this field has been a goal since Rise Academy opened in 2006.

About TEAM Charter Schools:
TEAM Charter Schools is the region of KIPP schools in Newark and Camden, New Jersey. TEAM currently operates 6 schools and plans to grow to a total of 15. TEAM's mission is to create a network of schools that instill in students the desire and ability to succeed in college, in order to change the world. For more information, visit: www.teamschools.org.

About the NFL Foundation:
The National Football League Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football -- from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation represents the 32 NFL clubs and supports the health and safety of athletes, youth football, and the communities which support our game. For more information on the NFL Foundation, visit: http://www.NFLFoundation.org.

About the NY/NJ Snowflake Youth Foundation:
The NY/NJ Snowflake Youth Foundation is a newly formed charity headquartered at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Created as an initiative of the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee, the Foundation will harness the excitement of the Super Bowl XLVIII to raise critical funds to renovate and transform after-school facilities in the NY/NJ area that provide school-age boys and girls with safe and supervised recreational, educational, and character-building activities. More information can be found at http://www.snowflakeyouthfoundation.org.