• by Tanya Gazdik , April 1, 2020

The National Hockey League is offering parents free remote access to a hockey-themed curriculum for elementary and middle-school-aged students.

HockeyScholar is powered by EverFi, an international technology company driving social change through education, and is part of the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association Future Goals Program. 

The curriculum of 12 learning modules, previously only available through educational institutions and educators, focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.

Activities include exploring the engineering behind equipment such as skates, sticks, and goalie pads, and calculating the surface area and volume of the ice in a rink. Student can also also explore geometry and how angles are a key component of the game, and examine how player speed and game dynamics are premised on mass, velocity and kinetic energy.

A two-minute video promoting the program launched March 31.

Since many schools are closed across the United States and Canada, parents are now significantly challenged educating their children -- whether through home-schooling or online programs with local school districts, says Rob Knesaurek, NHL group vice president of youth hockey and industry growth. 

“This newly created parental access to the Hockey Scholar Program provides all families with educational resources to support them and educate their kids with impactful STEM learning modules during this difficult time, and allows families to have some educational fun at home along the way,” Knesaurek tells Marketing Daily.  

A few select NHL players will play a role in helping teachers, parents, and students connect and interact with the online Future Goals materials.

Students who complete the Future Goals/Hockey Scholar program will be introduced to careers in hockey related to STEM. 

More than 3.1 million students have participated in the program, accounting for more than 6.5 million hours of learning, since it was first launched in 2014. Participants saw their STEM skills increase by 82%, while 93% of teachers who incorporated it into their students’ coursework said they would recommend the program to fellow teachers.