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PCA & The National School Climate Center Launch the Athletes with Courage Program

  • National School Climate Center
PCA and The National School Climate Center Launch the Athletes with Courage Program

With support from The Choose Kindness Project, the program centers around student-athlete voices and leadership.

(January 12, 2023) – Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and The National School Climate Center (NSCC) at Ramapo for Children together have launched the Athletes with Courage (AC) program – a new student-led, data-driven bullying prevention initiative being piloted in four high schools across the nation.  After being selected as founding members of The Choose Kindness Project and receiving collaborative grant support from ABC Network, ESPN, and the Walton Family Foundation, PCA and NSCC came together to develop a unique transformative program that centers around student-athlete voices and leadership. Berkeley High School (Berkeley, CA), Midview High School (Grafton, OH), Murrieta Mesa High School (Murrieta, CA), and Lindblom Math & Science Academy (Chicago, IL) are participating in the initial pilot program, and each school has selected a student-athlete leadership team made up of 15-30 diverse student-athlete groups.

The school administration at each school is motivated and committed to upholding positive cultures, and bringing this pilot program to their campus:

“Berkeley High Athletics is thrilled to be part of the Athletes with Courage pilot program. While we’ve spent the last few years training coaches and athletes to be Double-Goal coaches and Triple-Impact Competitors, this program allows our athletes to take their leadership skills beyond their teams and to do good for the whole campus student body! Thank you to the Positive Coaching Alliance, the National School Climate Center, and the ESPN/Disney Choose Kindness Project for this wonderful opportunity. Go Jackets!”

-Ross Parker, Athletic Director at Berkeley High

On Friday, December 16th, 2022, the Athletes with Courage program kicked off with a virtual summit. The student-athlete leadership teams at each of the schools came together to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to understand and respond to bullying, as well as connect with other student-athletes in team-based problem-solving and leadership development.

“Being an athlete means higher visibility in the school environment and, consequently, a greater sense of responsibility. We look to them to set a good example and lead the way,”

–Christina Davis, Athletic Director at Lindblom

There were over 53 student-athletes in attendance for the first virtual summit, sharing enthusiasm and valuable insights around their role in preventing bullying on their campus and within their communities.

“As honored as Midview High School is to be featured in this Summit, we are equally as fortunate to work alongside the exemplary student-athletes willing to champion this effort. Together, we believe we can create compelling shared conversations to advance understanding of the devastating effects of bullying and to, hopefully, empower student-athletes to become agents for positive change in their schools, community, and beyond.”

–Brian Siftar, Principal of Midview High School

“Mesa is extremely excited to continue to build a culture of awareness surrounding anti-bullying. Athletics has always been the most visible group on campus which makes our responsibility in ensuring healthy and safe campuses that more important. Partnering with PCA allows all my student athletes and coaches access to proper training from one of the leading organizations in the country in anti-bullying and as an AD that makes me pretty proud.”

–John Broussard, Assistant Principal & Athletic Director at Murrieta Mesa

The AC program will include leadership training for coaches and student-athletes, a bias-based bullying survey that will be administered to the entire school population at all four schools by the end of February, and another virtual summit in the spring where the student-athletes will prepare to develop, lead and execute anti-bullying campaigns.

“Launching the Athletes with Courage program in collaboration with NSCC is an incredible opportunity to bring student voices to the forefront of impactful growth in mental wellness, cultivating positive environments, and eliminating bullying on campus. We couldn’t be more excited that the Athletes with Courage program is new and unique, combining NSCC’s highly successful research and data collection on positive school climate with PCA’s decades of experience providing workshops on creating positive youth sports experiences.”

–Jason Sacks, PCA President

“We are glad to partner with PCA to pilot Athletes with Courage.  This program is truly driven by the student-athletes, centering their ideas and leadership in bullying prevention in their own schools.  Our work in school climate and bullying prevention is based on decades of research and student-led offerings in schools around the U.S., and we are excited to see it applied in the context of sports.  We are grateful to ESPN, ABC, and The Walton Family Foundation for their support of The Choose Kindness Project, and look forward to this program growing and flourishing for years to come.”

–Sabrina Evans-Ellis, Executive Director, National School Climate Center at Ramapo

About NSCC and PCA

The National School Climate Center at Ramapo (NSCC) partners with schools to build positive cultures where all young people can thrive. NSCC has decades of experience providing research-based programs that support students, families, educators, and communities.

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) aims to change the culture of youth sports so that every child, regardless of social or economic circumstance, has access to a positive youth sports experience. PCA provides research-based training and resources for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders.

NSCC & PCA are founding members of the Choose Kindness Project, an alliance supported by ABC network, ESPN, and the Walton Family Foundation. Athletes with Courage is made possible with support from ESPN.

Originally posted on Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA): https://positivecoach.org/the-pca-blog/pca-and-the-national-school-climate-center-launch-the-athletes-with-courage-program/

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E Tsang, Director of Operations, National School Climate Center

E Tsang

Director of Operations

As the Director of Operations for NSCC, E Tsang helps make the finances, HR, and organizational functions of NSCC run smoothly.
Adam St. Bernard Jacobs(he/him), Co-Executive Director, National School Climate Center

Adam St. Bernard Jacobs (he/him)

Co-Executive Director

Adam is a peace educator and nonprofit leader. Adam was previously the organization’s Director of Development. Prior to joining NSCC, Adam was the co-founder and Executive Director of Kids Creative, an arts education organization in NYC. He was also a member of the team that founded a community elementary school in The Bronx. He has worked on issues of equity, anti-racism, arts education, and conflict resolution. He has written articles and led workshops in conflict resolution and the arts, giving talks and workshops at Columbia University, The Peace and Justice Studies Conference, Gettysburg College, and The University of Istanbul, among others. Adam has an undergraduate degree in International Politics, a Masters degree in Peace Education, and a Certificate in Senior Nonprofit Leadership, all from Columbia University, as well as an undergraduate degree in Rabbinic Law from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He was also Mr. Clown, a lead performer in the internationally acclaimed rock group for kids, The Dirty Sock Funtime Band, and was a regular on Nick Jr. and Chuck E Cheese TV. He is raising 2 fantastic children with his life partner, Tabitha.
Kori Hamilton Biagas, Director of Education, National School Climate Center

Kori Hamilton Biagas

Director of Education

Kori is an educator, connector, truth seeker, master facilitator, and the founder of Just Educators. Kori has nearly 20 years of experience in strategic planning, policy analysis and development, instruction, coaching, and technical assistance. As an Equity Specialist for the Region IV and Region IX equity assistance centers, Kori managed large-scale, racial equity driven school district transformation efforts, led district and state leaders through policy analysis, coached state leaders through school climate transformation initiatives, and provided equity-focused professional learning opportunities at all levels of education. Kori specializes in addressing and resolving inequitable policies, practices, and processes in organizations related to racial equity and social justice.
Christian Villenas, Ph.D, Co-Executive Director, National School Climate Center

Christian Villenas, Ph.D

Co-Executive Director

A sociologist by training and an applied education researcher by practice, Christian’s work examines how educational institutions shape opportunity, belonging, exclusion, and student experience. At NSCC, he helps guide the organization’s research, measurement, evaluation, partnerships, and strategic growth, with a focus on making evidence usable for schools, districts, and education partners. Before joining NSCC, Dr. Villenas held research and policy roles at GLSEN, Advocates for Children of New York, the New York City Charter School Center, the NAEP Education Statistics Services Institute, and the American Institutes for Research. Across more than two decades, his work has focused on school climate, social disparities in education, disability studies, LGBTQ student experiences, college access, education policy, program evaluation, and statistical analysis. He holds a BS from New York University, an MS from The New School, and a PhD in Sociology from Johns Hopkins University.
Amanda Weitzel, Director of School Partnerships, National School Climate Center

Amanda Weitzel

Director of School Partnerships

For over a decade at NSCC, Amanda has partnered with schools and districts across the country to support the implementation of school climate surveys and the strategic use of data to drive meaningful improvement. With a background in data analysis, customer success, and partner support, Amanda specializes in helping educators move beyond data collection to uncover actionable insights that strengthen school communities. Her work sits at the intersection of research, data, and practice, guiding school and district leaders in translating survey results into informed decisions that support student success, staff well-being, and positive learning environments. Amanda is passionate about empowering educators with the tools, knowledge, and confidence needed to create safe, supportive, and engaging schools where all students can thrive.
Samantha Elleman, Associate Director of Research, National School Climate Center

Samantha Elleman

Associate Director of Research

Samantha’s primary research topics span school climate, social inclusion, and school climate improvement. Prior to joining the National School Climate Center, Samantha worked as Assistant Teacher and Research Assistant at the Barnard Toddler Center. Her research interests include early childhood education, childhood trauma and protective factors, social-emotional education, and mental wellness in schools. Samantha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Barnard College and a Master of Arts in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.