Pac-12 Impact initiative hosts students from African American male achievement program
SAN FRANCISCO -- As a part of the Pac-12’s diversity-based social outreach initiative, Pac-12 Impact, the Conference earlier this week welcomed over 40 students from Mission High School to tour Pac-12 Conference Offices and Studios, and to learn about career opportunities in sports.
The visit to Pac-12 headquarters on Tuesday is part of San Francisco Unified School District’s African American Male Achievement Program, which seeks to improve academic and ultimately life outcomes for its students. As part of the program’s college and career preparation curriculum, the students visit various workplaces in the Bay Area to gain exposure to unique career paths and sport-related opportunities.
"It is always rewarding to have AAMA (African American Male Achievement) students visit Pac-12 headquarters,” said Will Hunter, Vice President of Operations. “It is exciting to witness the students learn about the inner-workings of our organization and be exposed to the opportunities in the sports industry they may not have considered.”
The students interacted and networked with leaders from across the Pac-12 Conference and Pac-12 Networks while learning about their various roles, from sports officiating to television production.
“For me, our field trip to the Pac-12 headquarters is always a favorite because it exposes young people, who love sports and dream about being college and pro athletes, to new opportunities in sports,” said Bobby Pope, Manhood Development Class Program Manager. “For many of our youth, the dream is of becoming a collegiate athlete in the Pac-12, however several students expressed they now want to go college with the idea of working in a career in the sports industry from being exposed to the Pac-12 Conference headquarters. This experience was a game changer for many of them.”
The visit to the Conference headquarters gave the over 40 students who participated an opportunity to realize career opportunities in sports beyond the field. Activities were planned for the entire morning, including a tour of the facility, interactive opportunities and Pac-12 speakers. It is the third-straight year the Pac-12 has hosted student groups from the program.
About Pac-12 Impact
Pac-12 Impact is the social outreach initiative of the Pac-12 Conference. In the pioneering spirit of the West Coast, the Pac-12 is committed to using the power of sport to promote a culture of diversity and inclusion. The Pac-12 is spreading the message of inclusion, celebrating diversity, standing strong against bullying, and fostering fairness and good sportsmanship. More information can be found at pac-12.com/impact.
About the Pac-12 Conference
The Conference has a tradition as the “Conference of Champions,” leading the nation in NCAA Championships in 51 of the last 57 years, with 508 NCAA team titles overall. The Conference comprises 12 leading U.S. universities: The University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Colorado, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of Utah, the University of Washington and Washington State University. For more information on the Conference’s programs, member institutions, and Commissioner Larry Scott, go to pac-12.com/conference.