A little over a year ago, my students and I were introduced to a little program called Classroom Champions.  Through Skype in the Classroom we got the opportunity to talk with Olympic Gold Medalist Steve Mesler and learn about goal setting.

What is Classroom Champions?  They state on their website that “Classroom Champions connects top performing athletes with students in high-need schools. We use video lessons and live video chat to motivate students to recognize their potential, set goals and dream big, while educating them in the practical use of communications technology.”  But it’s so much more than that!  

Classroom Champions is completely FREE!  You can even access all the materials online now from their website.  But every spring they open up applications to become a Classroom Champions teacher. 

What’s the difference?
   Last year I was able to utilize the videos from the Classroom Champions website.  Then in the Spring of 2013 I was notified that I was selected as one of the 33 classrooms in the United States to be a Classroom Champions class.  That means that we get a personalized video every month from our athlete.  We also got a personal Google Hangout with our athlete, as well as the opportunity to watch him compete live in Sochi.  Finally, since we were a Classroom Champions class we got to submit a video for a Classroom Champions contest and won the opportunity to have our athlete come visit us in PERSON! 

Paralympian Joshua Sweeney is our athlete this year.  He plays on the US Men’s Sled Hockey Team and will compete in the Sochi Paralympic games in just under two weeks!

I can’t express enough the value of this organization.  My students, many of which who will never leave the state of Texas, have been able to connect with and learn from a professional athlete.  We’ve learned about perseverance, goal setting, fair play, community, and so much more.

My students have learned character education qualities in a manner that will stick with them for the rest of their lives.  They’ve been able to be inspired and gain an opportunity that is unmatched.

Steve Mesler co-founded Classroom Champions with his sister Leigh.  You can watch an interview we did with him on EduAllStars HERE.

Why do I write this today? Because RIGHT NOW is the time to apply to be a Classroom Champions Teacher for next year!!

Whether you decide to apply to be a Classroom Champions teacher or not, I hope that you check out their site and consider utilizing their free tools.  This is an organization that I fully support and stand behind and believe in their mission. (You can also check out what other teachers are saying HERE)