BOONE, N.C. — The connection between Appalachian State Athletics, its record-setting FBS football program, the Sun Belt Conference and the College Football Playoff Foundation led to an educational opportunity that had a mountains-to-sea impact.
Thanks to the FBS classification of the Mountaineers, App State received a $10,000 gift that benefited the local community through a partnership between the University, App State Athletics, the Reich College of Education and Watauga County Schools.
During App State's home football game against Georgia State on Nov. 17, Director of Athletics
Doug Gillin, Chancellor Sheri Everts and Dr. Melba Spooner, Dean of the Reich College of Education, presented Watauga County Schools Superintendent Scott Elliott with a $10,000 check as part of the College Football Playoff Foundation's Extra Yard for Teachers initiative.
The Sun Belt will also recognize the initiative with pregame and in-game presentations during the inaugural Sun Belt Football Championship Game on Saturday in Boone. Appalachian State, which earned the right to host the game with its 7-1 conference record that led to an East Division title, will face West champion Louisiana at noon in Kidd Brewer Stadium. ESPN will televise the matchup.
"We'd like to thank the College Football Playoff Foundation and Sun Belt Conference for investing money at a local level and showing a commitment to our local teachers and educational leaders," Gillin said. "We're so grateful for all of the educators in our local community."
In recognizing the hard work of educators, each of the 10 football-playing institutions in the Sun Belt received a $10,000 gift.
The gift to Appalachian State funded a project called "First Teach: Appalachian State University and Watauga County Schools Teacher Leader Mentorship Program (First Teach Program)."
"Sustaining partnerships is critical to the work we do in preparing educators," Spooner said. "The Teach First Program, funded in part by the $10,000 gift from the College Football Playoff Foundation, provided the opportunity for our teacher education students to engage deeply with teachers and leaders in the Watauga County Schools. Being able to recognize the Teachers and Principal of the Year for their accomplishments and contributions demonstrates the commitment our university community places on quality education and educators."
The "First Teach" partnership focused on continuing education and professional growth for the teachers and principal of the year from Watauga County Schools, seven of whom are Appalachian alumni, plus the approximately 30 Appalachian State teacher education students who are members of the Appalachian Community of Education Scholars (ACES) program.
That group traveled east to Ocracoke, N.C., for a four-day enrichment and leadership development training experience at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching.
"I am grateful to the Sun Belt Conference, the University and App State Athletics for this award," Elliott said. "The teacher leaders facilitated several sessions for the pre-service teachers to help them prepare for securing their first job and ensuring a successful first year of teaching. The group also spent time with members of the U.S. Coast Guard learning about the importance of team work and distributed leadership.
"We should take every opportunity to celebrate our teachers and thank them for their dedication to our students and community. They truly do go the Extra Yard every day!"
The CFP Foundation created the Extra Yard for Teachers Week in 2015, a year after the Mountaineers began competing at the FBS level as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, to provide an opportunity for universities, coaches and student-athletes to take part in its mission of elevating the teaching profession through inspiring and empowering educators. Since 2015, App State has posted a 39-11 record and is the only program to win a bowl game in each of its first three years after the complete FBS transition.
The Mountaineers beat Ohio 31-29 in the 2015 Camellia Bowl, Toledo 31-28 in the 2016 Camellia Bowl and Toledo again 34-0 in the 2017 Dollar General Bowl. The winner of Saturday's game will receive a bid to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 15, and the runner-up is headed to the AutoNation Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on the same day.
