Students at ENLACE play hoops while learning about teamwork and commitment
Fundación MAPFRE announced a $30,000 grant for the Real Madrid Foundation to bring its youth sports program to ENLACE (Engaging Newcomers in Language and Content Education) in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Thirty students from ENLACE, which serves newcomer English Language Learners in the 9th and 10th grades, are participating.
The Real Madrid Foundation youth sports program is held in schools around the world to promote physical, intellectual and social development. ENLACE was selected to participate through a partnership with Fundación MAPFRE and Teach For America Massachusetts.
“Combining sports with learning opportunities is valuable in teaching students about teamwork and respect,” said Alfredo Castelo, chief representative of Fundación MAPFRE in the United States. “We are proud to partner with Teach For America, Real Madrid Foundation and ENLACE to bring this exciting program to youngsters in our community.”
“Teach For America has been a proud partner to the school community at ENLACE since its inception,” said Josh Biber, executive director of Teach For America Massachusetts. “Having access to physical education and sports programming is an important component to a well-rounded academic experience, and we are grateful to our partners at Fundación MAPFRE for supporting this effort, and are proud to have played a role in fostering this partnership with Real Madrid.”
ENLACE selected basketball as the sport for the Real Madrid Foundation program, which is being held after school during the remainder of the school year. As part of the program, Real Madrid Foundation trained ENLACE coaches to facilitate the program.
“This program is a particularly great opportunity for our students, who are newcomers here,” said ENLACE Principal Allison Balter. “They are able to make friends and connect with their new school through something that is universal – the joy of sport.”
About Fundación MAPFRE
Fundación MAPFRE is recognized as a leading global foundation for our commitment to people’s well-being and social progress. Our mission, as a nonprofit institution created by MAPFRE, is to contribute to improving people’s quality of life and the progress of society through multinational programs and activities. Fundación MAPFRE is fully aware of the fact that only by understanding the new realities of this changing world will we be able to move forward with this global project, which is structured around different areas of action. To achieve our goals, we organize a wide range of activities worldwide in five key areas that share a common objective: our ethical commitment to society. The five areas in which our activities are based are Social Action, Culture, Health Promotion, Accident Prevention and Road Safety, and Insurance and Social Protection.
