DENVER, CO, May 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Youth sports are linked to higher test scores and graduation rates. Sports participation also has a proven impact in shaping successful adults by instilling ideations of accountability, confidence and teamwork. As the world of athletics evolves, so must leadership. Aligning with mindSpark Learning’s® (MindSpark™) commitment to bring more diversity, equity and inclusion into education, MSL CAPITA, its sports and coaching arm, announced the focus for its 2021-2022 COLab will support athletic program leaders and sports organizations in developing innovative cultures to elevate the impact of female athlete development and success.
Launching in the Fall of 2021 and in partnership with A Precious Child, Girl Scouts of Colorado and the Global Community of Women In High School Sports, COLab will work with Fellows to create a more equitable and inclusive sport community. Now in its second year, MSL CAPITA COLab was constructed to help leaders in athletics reframe their mindset in order to consider the full impact of their athletic culture, student-athlete leadership, and human development on and off the field.
During the six-month fellowship, COLab fellows will engage with subject matter experts and organizations to:
- Self reflect on their mission and vision for their sports program
- Develop a blueprint for their organization’s biggest problems of practice by elevating women’s participation in sports and leadership roles
- Define a path forward, using equitable processes, to create sustainable change within their community
“Only 25 percent of youth coaches in the U.S. are women. MSL CAPITA COLab hopes to change the landscape and forge a more equitable path for women to become leaders within the sports world,” said MindSpark Senior Director of Strategic Programs Davis Turner, “COLab fellows will move the needle to recruit and retain girls and women in sports.”
“Every branch of our organization is dedicated to empowering schools and education systems to solve their own problems,” said MindSpark CEO Kellie Lauth. “We’re honored to have A Precious Child, Girl Scouts of Colorado, and the Global Community of Women In High School Sports join us in our mission to create a transformative and much-needed professional learning experience for sports leaders and coaches through COLab.”
All athletic program leaders, coaches and sports organizations are invited to register to be part of the COLab 2021 cohort. The cost to participate is $500, though early bird rates are available: $400 for those that register by May 31, 2021 and $450 for those that register by July 31, 2021.
For more information and to register, please visit www.mindspark.org/colab.
About mindSpark Learning
mindSpark Learning® (MindSpark™), a nonprofit founded as Share Fair Nation in 2007 and rebranded in 2017, empowers educators to solve society’s biggest challenges by providing transformative professional learning experiences. As social designers, MindSpark creates and facilitates custom professional development opportunities using a foundation of innovation, equity, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and community and industry partnerships.
Programs focus on STEM Skills, Leadership Training, Social and Emotional Learning, sports and coaching with mSL CAPITA, and our mindSpark Learning Toolkit. Each experience relates back to one of our four causes, our societal challenges we hope to help educators and students overcome: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Resilient and Health Communities, Sustained Transformation, and Workforce and Talent Development. We evaluate our success based on our S.P.A.R.K. goals, which we’ve designed to ensure our work makes a noticeable difference in the schools, districts and communities in which we serve.
MindSpark’s disruption cycle challenges partners to think and act differently by creating viable, long-term solutions. To date, mindSpark Learning has impacted more than 31,847 educators and 985,410 students in 3,472 schools across 50 states, Washington D.C and 68 countries. MindSpark has also built meaningful relationships with more than 650 industry and community partners. For more information, please visit www.mindspark.org.
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