The National Hockey League and the bipartisan Congressional Hockey Caucus hosted a congressional briefing to discuss how hockey supports increased interest in and access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning for fifth- through eighth-grade students. The event took place Wednesday afternoon on Capitol Hill. NoVa Caps Photojournalist Joe Noyes was on hand for the event.
Frank Thorp V of NBC News moderated a discussion examining the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and NHL’s Future Goals program, which has worked to up-skill over 2 million students since 2014 across the United States, 42 percent of whom were in a school where many students qualified for the free and reduced lunch program last year.
The briefing provided an opportunity for Members and Congressional staff to learn the value that hockey brings to youth, families and communities. As the NHL and NHLPA strive to leverage hockey as a catalyst to build healthy and vibrant communities, the Future Goals program reinforces the presence of STEM in the real world and the game of hockey, encouraging students to continue exploration of these careers for their future.
Following the Congressional Briefing there was an interactive Future Goals demonstration and open house in the Rayburn Foyer with Washington Capitals Player Brooks Orpik, 2018 US Olympic Gold Medalist Haley Skarupa, NHL legends and mascots (Gritty, NJ Devil, and Slapshot).
Here are a few of the images from the event:
