Orange Bowl Celebrates Middle School Students at Orange Bowl Leadership Academy

South Florida students dream BIG and lead the way as program builds future leaders

MIAMI LAKES, Fla. (June 4, 2024) – On Saturday, June 1, the Orange Bowl held a celebration at Hard Rock Stadium to acknowledge and recognize nearly 350 students who participated in the Orange Bowl Leadership Academy (OBLA), an after-school mentoring program for students in select Broward and Miami-Dade middle schools.

Participants, parents, siblings, friends, teachers, and administrators were in attendance as the Orange Bowl honored each current student in the program in addition to handing out special Emerging Leader awards for students who excelled throughout the year.

The Orange Bowl Leadership Academy was established to provide South Florida youth the opportunity to dream and develop a plan to achieve those dreams, set and achieve personal goals, and understand their options for success in their homes, careers, and communities. OBLA primarily operates through workshops and interactive activities led by Orange Bowl Committee staff, members, and community partner professionals.

Approximately 350 students from 10 middle schools in South Florida are enrolled in the Orange Bowl Leadership Academy. Participating schools from Broward County include Driftwood Middle, Lauderdale Lakes Middle, McNicol Middle, Plantation Middle, and Silver Lakes Middle; and Miami-Dade County schools include George Washington Carver Middle, Horace Mann Middle, Madison Middle, Norland Middle, and North Miami Middle.

From October through May, students in the program met after school with teachers and mentors, including Orange Bowl Committee members. The students also met with guest speakers, including business professionals from the Florida Lottery and Moss. Additionally, the students took field trips for behind-the-scenes tours of Cinch Home Services, First Tee, Sidley Austin, and Amerant Bank Arena. These sessions are designed to inspire and unleash individual youth potential and focus on leadership skills while also creating career development opportunities.

Support for the Orange Bowl Leadership Academy is provided by the College Football Playoff Foundation, whose philanthropic initiatives are directed toward education, specifically teachers, through its Extra Yard for Teachers program.

The Orange Bowl Leadership Academy receives additional support from sponsors including Amazon, AutoNation, Bank of America, Cinch Home Services, Comcast, Deloitte, Florida Blue, Florida Lottery, Florida Power & Light Company, Moss, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and Sidley Austin LLP.

“The Florida Lottery is proud to support middle school students and teachers throughout South Florida as a sponsor of the Orange Bowl Leadership Academy,” said Florida Lottery Secretary John F. Davis. “The Academy prepares students for success by equipping them with the tools and resources they need to be leaders who excel academically and personally. In the years to come, it is my hope that each of these students will earn a Bright Futures Scholarship, enabling them to continue their education and to achieve their dreams. Florida’s future will be bright as these students become tomorrow’s leaders.”

To become involved and learn more about the Orange Bowl Leadership Academy, please visit orangebowl.org.

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