Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions. (Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images), (Don Carey / Not Better Than You)
Detroit Lions safety Don Carey is embracing a healthy combination of education and football.
On Saturday, he hosted a day of football training camp and learning in the science, tech, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) fields at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in Detroit. According to the Lions, the six-hour program benefited 250 students from ages 8 to 17 in the Detroit public school system at no cost to the children or their families.
Carey created the event through his REECH Foundation and brought along some teammates and corporate sponsors such as Ford, according to the team site. The Detroit News reported that Carey and nearly 20 of his Lions teammates helped instruct the students in technique and sportsmanship. Several Detroit-area institutions — among them Arts and Scraps, Wayne State University’s medicine and engineering schools, Marathon Petroleum Corporation and the University of Detroit Mercy Chemist Club — led students in hands-on lessons in the STEAM fields.
“Football is a great gateway to help kids understand the importance of an education,” Carey said in a statement before the event.
“My teammates will be there, along with a great group of sponsors and volunteers, and everyone’s committed to making this event a huge win for the kids!”
Carey was a nominee last season for the NFL’s annual Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which usually recognizes one player out of 32 nominees — one for each NFL team — for their community service and on-field performance. In 2014, Carey worked with teammates and corporations to implement STEM literacy into the Detroit public school curriculum. He also ran a free STEM camp in 2016.
One of the STEAM activities involved a science show by the Dr. Nitro Lab, after which students got to make their own ice cream and refresh during a long day of physical and mental exercise.
