Tonight, the NFL and its Inspire Change social justice initiative premiered a new feature highlighting Arizona Cardinals’ tackle Kelvin Beachum and the work he does with his Kelvin Konnects initiative during NFL Network show Total Access. Kelvin Konnects works to increase minority access to careers within the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics fields to young adults in the greater-Dallas metropolitan area.
The new feature highlights Kelvin’s passion for and introduction to STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics – and his realization of the need for greater access to such education amongst minority communities. This realization led to the founding of Kelvin Konnects, which connects students of the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy (BOMLA) in Dallas, Texas with industry leaders, local and federal elected officials and offers the opportunity for these students to immerse themselves in the world of STEAM.
Through the program, Kelvin Konnects works to create a sustainable pipeline from student to professional and bridge the gap of access and opportunity by providing various STEAM programming, robotics access, professional and educational field trips, college/University tours, and speaker series.
The feature also highlights the stories of Timothy McCall and Sienzhi Kouemo who were both parts of Kelvin Konnects and BOMLA. Through mentorship with Kelvin and utilizing the resources the programs provide, Sienzhi is continuing his education at Southern Methodist University and McCall secured employment at Goldman Sachs.
Throughout the year, the NFL and its Inspire Change social justice initiative aim to continue to move us toward a more equal and just tomorrow by reducing barriers to opportunity. It puts specific emphasis on four pillars; police-community relations, economic advancement, criminal justice reform, and education.
