MIAMI (WSVN) - The Miami Dolphins brought together students from across South Florida to talk about diversity and inclusivity in their communities.
The students gathered in Miami on Tuesday to participate in Breakthroughs and Bridges, a unique collaboration between the Miami Dolphins’ Football Unites program and Breakthrough Miami.
The event brought nearly 50 students from different backgrounds together and allowed them to engage in thought-provoking conversations and activities designed to address diversity and inclusiveness.
The program aims to make sure the next generation of children embraces difference as an asset to their lives.
Managing Program Director Lauren Keller Rudolph said, “We’ve got two fantastic facilitators that are engaging the students and used to explore what’s important to them, and how they have the same opinions or difference of opinions, but how they can use that to spark action within their community.”
Players and executives from the Dolphins also worked alongside the students during the program.
“Our goal is to make South Florida healthier, educated and more united,” Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President Jason Jenkins said.
The workshop emphasized listening, learning and understanding others, and it allowed the children to grow and offer solutions while providing networking opportunities.
“They’re excited to share,” Rudolph said. “The fact they have an opportunity and a safe space to share their ideas, their passions, where they would like to see change, and to find other like-minded youth that are really excited about change, and have the opportunity to meet new students and be able to maybe make some of that change, as well.”
“It was great to see the smiles on the kid’s faces, but also, they were very demonstrative,” Jenkins said. “They were very educational, and they were really demonstrative about the program.”
The students also broke off into smaller groups, where they established and nurtured relationships that will empower their personal and professional lives going forward.
“To see these youth who are going to carry us in the future be so committed, to be so enthusiastic about making positive change in the community was very fulfilling,” Jenkins said.
The Football Unites program was created to bring positive social change and to unite different groups around the sport of football.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.