NEW ORLEANS - The Sun Belt Conference hosted teachers from around the greater New Orleans area Wednesday night as part of the conference’s ongoing Science of Sport partnership program.
 
Over the course of three hours, Science of Sport leaders held sessions with several dozen teachers at the New Orleans Pelicans facility with the goal of promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to teachers.  The teachers reviewed 15 lesson plans related to how STEM is used in the game of basketball.  They also received a Science of Basketball teacher kit as well as a curriculum and materials. 
 
“The Sun Belt Conference is proud to continue its partnership with Science of Sport,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson. “Together, we recognize that athletics isn’t always just about competition, that there are details within games that can be used as a cool teaching method. This program is a great way to engage students in their understanding of STEM.”
 
The Sun Belt and Science of Sport partnership is in its third year, having previously hosted student field trips and teacher training workshops for football, basketball and baseball. The sessions are made possible through a grant from the College Football Playoff Foundation and its Extra Yard for Teachers platform.
 
In March, the Sun Belt Conference and Science of Sport will host Science of Basketball STEM field trips for greater New Orleans area schools during the 2019 Sun Belt Men's and Women's Basketball Championship at Lakefront Arena. To register, visit https://sunbelt.me/stemfieldtrip.