We all celebrate our Cleveland Browns’ Sunday victories. But what about their off-field wins? The Browns organization significantly impacts communities across Ohio through the “Stay in the Game!” initiative. This statewide educational program is dedicated to keeping kids engaged and motivated to stay in school.
Stay in the Game! is a movement designed to grow a stronger community by increasing student attendance. It launched in 2019 with the leadership of the Cleveland Browns Foundation, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and Harvard’s Proving Ground. Today, the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network is managed by Battelle, which works to campaign, connect, and convene with experts and supporters to improve attendance at participating schools throughout the state.
Student attendance matters.
Consistent school attendance is the foundation for student success. Even missing a few days a month can have a lasting impact on learning. Stay in the Game! reports that 30% of Ohio students miss almost 20 days of school a year. Research shows that missing two days a month can leave kids trailing in foundational learning and social skills.
Students who have never been chronically absent are:
- 6.7x more likely to read on grade level by the end of third grade
- 9x more likely to graduate from high school on time and go on to college and career
The Network’s goal is to have more than 90% of Ohio students attending school more than 90% of the time, and has identified four core strategies to get there:
- Create a statewide attendance movement
- Develop partnerships
- Build a dynamic peer-to-peer learning community
- Identify and elevate proven and promising practices
How Stay in the Game! Is Making an Impact
The program inspires districts, students, and families to collaborate on attendance. The Stay in the Game! Attendance Network has grown to 100+ member school districts throughout Ohio, representing nearly 230,000 students annually through attendance support and interventions.
The Network provides a playbook for district administrators with resources and educational materials for participating schools to use to motivate students. These assets highlight bright spots, best practices, and emerging research to help leaders have a greater impact on student attendance.
Cleveland Browns players play a big role in encouraging students—they volunteer their time to meet with students at school assemblies, in the classroom and on the football field. They’re featured on posters that are displayed in participating schools and share audio and video messages that cheer on students and encourage them to get to school. Other Network team champions include Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati—with each creating resources with their branding to get students excited about showing up each and every day.
To learn more about Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, visit their website, where you’ll find more information about their dynamic programming, access to resources and materials, as well as opportunities to get involved with the program.
At Shamrock, we’re big fans of the Browns! We are proud to partner with the Browns and help support their Stay in the Game! initiative.
We’re excited to share information about the good that the organization does on and off the field. Check out the Cleveland Browns Foundation for more about their tremendous impact. Go Browns!
