MIAMI GARDENS – As part of the Miami Dolphins' educational pillar and its FOOTBALL UNITES™ program, the Miami Dolphins announced a partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) through Values Matter Miami, a series of initiatives designed to promote education and values among its students. The announcement took place on Friday, Aug. 23 at Miami Carol City High School with M-DCPS Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho, School Board Member Dr. Steve Gallon III, Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications & Community Affairs Jason Jenkins and Miami Dolphins Alumnus Troy Drayton.
Values Matter Miami is M-DCPS' exciting values education program. Over the past four years, it has engaged students in actively learning about nine core values, - Respect, Honesty, Kindness, Fairness, Integrity, Citizenship, Cooperation, Responsibility and Pursuit of Excellence - inside and outside of the classroom.
"This partnership is a testament to the commitment of the Miami Dolphins beyond the football field," Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho said. "Values Matter Miami, which promotes and recognizes exemplary behavior, is part of our ongoing effort to empower students to make positive decisions based on core values, enabling them to make lasting contributions to our community."
As part of the partnership, Superintendent Carvalho and the Miami Dolphins created a Values Matter Miami PSA that can be found here. In addition, Miami Dolphins, players, alumni, cheerleaders and staff took part in monthly PSAs, highlighting each value associated with the program. Starting in September, the Dolphins will recognize a student each month that best exemplifies each value in a special ceremony. The Audible: Football Fridays will feature Values Matter Miami when Carol City High School faces off against Deerfield Beach High School at Traz-Powell Stadium, Saturday, August 24. In addition, the Dolphins will partner with M-DCPS on the NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative through a special contest with a student designing a special "Values Matter Miami" cleat that will be worn by a Dolphins player against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 1 at Hard Rock Stadium. Lastly, the Dolphins will help sponsor the Values Matter Miami Awards Ceremony in May.
"The Miami Dolphins are proud to strengthen our relationship with M-DCPS by supporting the Values Matter Miami Program to directly impact the students of Miami-Dade County," Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications & Community Affairs Jason Jenkins said. "Positive values are paramount to a great educational environment and we wanted to highlight this great program that promotes the great work done every day by students, teachers and administrators."
These initiatives align with the organization's goal to level the playing field through the power of teamwork to inspire a healthier, more educated and united South Florida community. Dolphins Chairman of the Board & Managing General Partner Stephen Ross and Dolphins players created the FOOTBALL UNITES™ program as a way to bring positive social change. The Miami Dolphins organization believes it is important to be inclusive of the diversity and aware of the intersections that make up South Florida, uniting groups of different races, genders, sexual orientations, identities, abilities and faiths around the power of football. These programs connect to the NFL's Inspire Change platform, showcasing the collaborative efforts of players, owners and the league to create positive change in communities across the country and work with RISE – the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality – to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations.
