Washington Redskins Launch Education Based Leadership Development Program in Partnership with Youth Entrepreneurs

The Washington Redskins and the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation today announced a new partnership with nonprofit Youth Entrepreneurs (YE) as a way to meaningfully impact youth in the Mid-Atlantic while furthering the organization's educational programming platform. The partnership will work to better serve middle and high school students throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia by successfully preparing them to operate and own a business.

Youth Entrepreneurs will provide a turnkey program to local schools that teaches core entrepreneurial and economic concepts while instilling key principles and character traits that lead to success in both school and life, such as knowledge, passion and opportunity. Washington Redskins wide receiver Terry McLaurin will play an integral role in the partnership through team-produced content, as well as participating in school and educator events. Terry will also raise awareness and support of Youth Entrepreneurs through the league-wide My Cause My Cleats campaign. In addition, the Washington Redskins organization will support Youth Entrepreneurs' entrance to Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland via a robust year-round event schedule and participation in programming and panels. Examples of the Redskins involvement will include classroom player visits, one-of-a-kind Redskins prizing for participating schools, educator training events hosted at FedExField, and Shark Tank-style student business pitch events held at Redskins Park.

"As a professional athlete, I'm always looking for ways to leverage my platform and inspire the next generation," said Terry McLaurin, wide receiver for the Washington Redskins. "I understand the value of a good education and the importance of being prepared for all aspects of life. I am grateful for the opportunity to help local educators and students via Youth Entrepreneurs; together we'll be able to provide the tools they need to be successful."

The Washington Redskins are the first professional sports team to partner with Youth Entrepreneurs and the first to bring this innovative program to students in local communities in the DMV where it has not been previously available. This accredited course, currently activated in hundreds of schools across the country, will focus on equipping local students with the values and vision needed to pursue their dreams ? at no cost to schools. Through an entrepreneurial-focused curriculum, which has retained a 99% graduation rate among participating students, this partnership will bring inspiration to youth in the region.

"Partnering with Youth Entrepreneurs strongly aligns with our ongoing commitment to youth education," said Carlyle Neyazi, Executive Director of the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation. "We're excited to assist in implementing this program to provide access to resources for educators and hands-on learning for students, and ultimately encourage young leaders in our community."

Over its 28-year history, Youth Entrepreneurs has developed an impactful, experiential curriculum that helps students discover and develop their unique gifts and talents and apply them in the classroom and beyond. Eighty-three percent of YE alumni reported that they left the program feeling prepared to enter college, a skilled-trade program or the workforce. Educators, who are provided with all the resources needed to implement the program at no cost to them or their school, are given the freedom to develop and apply activities in the classroom that they feel work best for their students.

"Our partnership with the Washington Redskins provides us with an incredible opportunity to reach more educators and, in turn, more students with our program," said Kylie Stupka, Youth Entrepreneurs president. "We look forward to seeing the impact it has on their communities in the years to come."

To learn how to bring Youth Entrepreneurs to your school, please visit Redskins.com/Youth-Entrepreneurs or GetYE.org.

ABOUT THE REDSKINS: Headquartered at Inova Sports Performance Center at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia, and owned by Daniel Snyder, the historic Washington Redskins Football Club has won five World Championship titles including the 1937 and 1942 National Football League Championship games, as well as Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI. Founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves in Massachusetts, the team changed its name to the Redskins in 1933 and relocated to Washington, D.C., in 1937. Since then, the team has become one of the most recognizable professional sports franchises in history, featuring multiple Hall of Fame coaches, 19 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (with 11 others who also were Redskins) and becoming the first team in the NFL with an official marching band and fight song, "Hail to the Redskins." The Redskins have been owned by Dan Snyder since 1999, and beginning in 1997, began playing their home games at FedExField in Landover, Md.

ABOUT THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION: The Redskins Charitable Foundation is ever-present in the community, constantly working to achieve our mission to make a positive and measurable impact in the lives of children that need it most. Since Redskins owners Dan and Tanya Snyder created the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation in 2000, we have given back more than $26M to the community and currently provide support and services to more than 178,000 individuals (mostly children) annually, focusing on supporting education, children's health and wellness and preparing them for their future. For more information on the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation's programs and events or to donate, visit www.redskins.com/community or follow the Foundation on Twitter at @RedskinsCR and Instagram at @redskinsgiveback.

ABOUT YOUTH ENTREPRENEURS: Founded by Charles and Liz Koch, Youth Entrepreneurs (YE) is an experiential program that equips young people with the values and vision to pursue their dreams. YE provides educators with training, resources and freedom to customize lessons and activities to create a tailored curriculum that benefits their students most ? introducing entrepreneurial skills and economic principles that change students' mindsets, so they believe in themselves and what they can do. Since 1991, YE has inspired more than 35,000 alumni across the nation to greater achievement than they ever thought possible. YE is a public 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is funded by private donations. For more information, visit YouthEntrepreneurs.org.