AT&T, Learn Fresh Team Up to Teach Kids with NBA Math Hoops App

AT&T contribution will expand digital math application to students, families across U.S.

Learn Fresh’s NBA Math Hoops and AT&T are keeping kids inspired to learn and connected to the court at a time when COVID-19 is making it tough to do either.

With a $250,000 contribution from AT&T, Learn Fresh is enhancing the NBA Math Hoops mobile app and expanding its ability to reach students in need of support around the globe. NBA Math Hoops is a comprehensive community program that allows students to learn fundamental math skills through the game of basketball.

“In low-income communities, just 54% of eighth graders are performing at a basic level of proficiency in math. Failing a math class is a huge indicator for dropping out of high school,” said Nick Monzi, NBA Math Hoops Co-Founder and CEO. “In this current environment, it has never been more important to ensure students continue to grow their foundational math and social-emotional skills. With AT&T, we can continue scaling NBA Math Hoops and creating fun virtual programs like NBA Math Breaks, to serve more students around the world.”

In addition to this contribution, the NBA will launch NBA Math Breaks Presented by AT&T, a social content series inspired by the NBA Math Hoops program. This AT&T-sponsored series will feature members of the NBA and WNBA family as they work through elementary and middle-school level math problems that incorporate the game of basketball. Part of NBA Together, the league’s global community and social engagement campaign to support, engage, educate and inspire youth, families and fans during the coronavirus pandemic, the four-week long program will feature a different mathematical theme (multiplication tables, prime numbers and more) each week, explaining helpful tips and having fun along the way.

To date, NBA Math Hoops has reached more than 250,000 students in the U.S. Within two weeks of school closures related to the spread of COVID-19, Learn Fresh equipped over 2,000 families with the NBA Math Hoops board game. AT&T’s support will allow Learn Fresh to expand the capability of the NBA Math Hoops mobile app, develop new gameplay modules incorporating additional math skills, and develop and implement a data collection system, providing educators the ability to remotely track and evaluate students' progress.

“As students adapt to the realities of distance learning, it’s important they have access to the most engaging content,” said Charlene Lake, SVP, Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer, AT&T. “That’s why we’re proud to support NBA Math Hoops and NBA Math Breaks as they use a game loved by millions to bring immersive STEM lessons and fundamental math skills to students across the country.”

This contribution is part of AT&T’s newly launched $10 million Distance Learning and Family Connections Fund, created to support distance learning and social development programs, such as NBA Math Hoops. Through this new fund, AT&T has also made contributions to Khan Academy, Caribu and multiple small businesses to improve the online learning resources available to students, teachers and families during these difficult times.