RISE'S Fourth Annual Super Bowl Leadership Program Culminates at Upcoming Super Bowl Week

NEW YORK, NY - RISE, the national nonprofit coalition of major U.S. sports leagues and media networks that uses sports to eliminate racism and champion social justice, is proud to announce that its fourth annual Super Bowl Leadership Program, which started in October, will culminate in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 3. This culmination will kick off multiple events, which RISE will lead during Super Bowl Week.

The program's conclusion, which is one of four RISE events at Super Bowl Week in Las Vegas, was created to empower select Las Vegas-area college students to be leaders in addressing matters of racism, inclusivity and social justice within their communities.

In a series of sessions, students are provided with a safe environment to learn about diversity and inclusion-related concepts in order to break down barriers and build relationships with fellow students and community leaders of various backgrounds. The annual program will end with several events at Super Bowl Week that will give participants unique experiences and professional development opportunities through engagements with sports industry leaders and community partners.

This year's RISE Super Bowl Leadership Program sessions have engaged a group of young leaders in the Las Vegas area, primarily undergraduate students from University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Participants have completed active, discussion-based modules led by RISE facilitators (topics below) and taken in presentations with Las Vegas-area community leaders, followed by Q&As. Following an in-person first session at the United Way of Southern Nevada, guest speakers have included representatives from IndigenousAF (https://www.iafinc.org), The LGBTQIA+ Community Center of Southern Nevada (https://thecenterlv.org) and the ACLU of Nevada (https://www.aclunv.org).

RISE Super Bowl Leadership Program sessions and Super Bowl Week events:

• Session 1: Understanding Our Identities - completed
• Session 2: Civic Engagement - completed
• Session 3: Native American Legacy in Sport - completed
• Session 4: Privilege & Power - completed
• Session 5: Equality vs. Equity - completed
• Session 6: Project Check-In and Recap - completed
• Session 7: Sport as a Vehicle for Change - completed
• Session 8: Project Check-In and Recap - completed
• Session 9: Social Justice Visit/Culmination - Super Bowl Week

Additional Super Bowl Week Events open to participants:

• Representation Matters
• Champions of Change

Following each session, participants are asked to reflect and respond to a series of questions on each week's topic. To celebrate the program and share the voice of the young leaders engaged in the RISE Super Bowl Leadership Program, RISE will produce and publicize a video highlighting these responses and showcasing participants in the program, especially their areas of passion in social justice and plans for further action in the Las Vegas community. The video will be released during Super Bowl Week. Participants will also engage in an in-person social justice visit in Las Vegas along with a celebratory culmination event to be held Saturday, February 3.“We couldn't be more excited as we get closer to completing this program, as it has successfully made an impact in providing a safe space to learn about and discuss diversity and inclusion,” said program facilitator and RISE Chief Program Officer Andrew Mac Intosh. “We look forward to continuing the work we have started with college students and community leaders in Las Vegas to help them break down barriers and build relationships in an ongoing effort to improve race relations, as well as spread our message during the week leading up to the big game.”