Players Coalition Awards $30,000 to Southeast Raleigh Elementary School

On November 1, Players Coalition, a nonprofit founded by former NFL players Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins, dedicated to making an impact on social justice and racial equality, awarded $30,000 to Southeast Raleigh Elementary School (SRES) in partnership with the Southeast Raleigh YMCA and Southeast Raleigh Promise, a local nonprofit that works alongside neighbors, strategic partners, and funders to ensure that Southeast Raleigh residents have access to equitable opportunities to grow and thrive.

The $30,000 contribution to SRES will impact 360 K-5 students by providing the resources and technology needed for STEAM education, where over half of the student population lives in low-income households. Students will have access to robotics, technology applications and equipment, and Virtual Reality experiences. Staff at SRES will also have the opportunity to build on their own technological capabilities.

“In order for students to be best set up for success, youth in Southeast Raleigh and across the country deserve to have access to all of the tools, programs, and resources to accelerate their learning and capacity through technology. Southeast Raleigh Elementary School, in partnership with Southeast Raleigh Promise and the YMCA, have created a Purpose-Built Community School serving 360 K-5 graders who will receive STEM education every week to increase their learning and engagement with technology. It is through these types of collaborative partnerships that we are working together to close the digital divide.” Torry Holt, Players Coalition Advocate, and NFL Veteran

Since the pandemic began in 2020, the Wake County Public School System committed to ensuring that all students had equal access to digital devices and internet access for learning, including SRES. Through funding, Southeast Raleigh purchased 24 Chromebooks and 8 hot spots for K-5 students, purchased 12 Chromebooks for 9th-12th grade students, and distributed additional technology equipment needed for remote learning, including headphones and web cameras.

Each student at SRES now has devices that are used daily within the school day; the grant will sustain these efforts and further build on STEAM education programming.