Funding expands life-changing programming that builds confidence, resilience and academic success for high school and middle school student-athletes across the country.

October 14, 2025 – The AthLife Foundation is proud to announce that 71 schools across Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. will all receive Academic Athletic Coach grants for the 2025-2026 school year. These investments will expand life-changing academic and mentoring support to thousands of student-athletes, helping them not only succeed in school but also thrive in every area of their lives.

A full list of the 71 school grantees can be viewed here: (LINK)

Among the most significant highlights of this year’s expansion:

• Lehigh Valley, PA – A unique investment from St. Luke’s University Health Network will drive expansion into middle schools, creating the first region in the country with multiple school districts bridging high impact programming from 7th to 12th grade.
• Baltimore, MD – Building on the city’s strong tradition of Academic Athletic Coaches, including the long-established program at Patterson High School, Baltimore City Public Schools will expand grant support to 16 schools and continue to serve as a model school district of how to transform young people’s lives through sport.
• New York, NY – Funding in New York City comes through the Heisman Trophy Fund for Youth Development with the New York Community Trust (NYCT), furthering opportunities for citywide student-athletes.
• Hartford, CT - Support from the State of Connecticut Department of Education will fuel expansion to include eight (8) high schools from Hartford Public Schools.
• Additional cities – Schools in Atlanta, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Orlando, Port St. Lucie, and Miami-Dade are a part of this growing national network of schools benefiting from the Academic Athletic Coach grants and the AthLife Foundation’s General Impact Fund.

“Student-athletes deserve to believe in themselves as much in the classroom as they do on the court,” said Jewel Clark, University of Pennsylvania Hall of Famer and AthLife Foundation’s Academic Athletic Coach of the Year. “Our role goes beyond academics; it’s about instilling confidence, building strong relationships, and helping students see themselves as leaders. The real impact of the Academic Athletic Coach is when students tell you you’ve changed their lives, not just by helping them graduate, but by helping them believe in themselves.”

The proof is in the voices of student-athletes themselves:

• “She made me confident, she made me who I am, she basically just inspired me to be a greater person. She’s like a second mom to me.” – Kanay Parham, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Class of 2025), on Coach Jewel Clark (LINK)

“This expansion to 71 schools is proof that Academic Athletic Coaches make a big difference in the lives of young people,” said Jim Steeg, AthLife Foundation Board Chair, Author, former Senior Vice President of Special Events at the NFL, and former Chief Operating Officer of the San Diego Chargers, “We have known for more than two decades that this is a much needed profession in Secondary Education. For any funding partner and the schools that invest in this, the return on that investment and impact can be substantial.”  

About The AthLife Foundation
Founded in 2010, the AthLife Foundation is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that every kid who plays can achieve life long success beyond sport. Through grant funding, training and industry leading resources, we help schools create a critical professional staff position in secondary education, called an Academic Athletic Coach. That Academic Athletic Coach works year round to create high impact programming, taps into a student’s passion for their sport and drives holistic development.

We’ve reached tens of thousands of students in schools across multiple states, strengthened by partnerships with organizations such as the Heisman Trophy Trust, Joe Moore Award and Foundation for Teamwork, NFL Foundation, New York Community Trust, St. Luke’s University Health Network, State of Connecticut, State of Pennsylvania, Under Armour Foundation, and many others. Learn more at athlifefoundation.org or join our professional network at 3ace.connectedcommunity.org.