The U.S. Soccer Foundation has teamed up with Discovery Education and the Lenovo Foundation to launch a sweeping initiative that brings soccer‑based learning into middle‑school classrooms nationwide. The program, called Soccer for Success: Goals for Life, blends the foundation’s youth‑development expertise with digital instruction to give students free resources that build STEM skills and connect classroom concepts to real‑world careers.
Soccer Meets STEM in the Classroom
A virtual field trip that will be rolled out this fall takes students behind the scenes of professional soccer, filming at Providence Park and Parkrose Middle School in Portland, Oregon. Aimed at grades six through eight, the experience invites learners to explore communication, leadership, resilience, decision‑making and even engineering through the lens of the sport.
The partnership also delivers a suite of no‑cost classroom materials that align with national standards, allowing teachers to weave soccer themes into lessons on science, technology, engineering and math. By linking the excitement of the game to academic content, the program seeks to broaden access to high‑quality STEM education for communities that have traditionally faced technological gaps.
“Soccer is more than a game; it is a vehicle for youth development, community building and expanding opportunity for young people,” said Calvin J. Crosslin, president of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. Ed Foster‑Simeon, senior vice president of Discovery Education, added that the collaboration “leverages the universal appeal of soccer to inspire curiosity and confidence in STEM fields.” Catherine Dunlop, director of the Lenovo Foundation, highlighted the foundation’s mission to “expand access to technology and STEM education for communities in need,” noting that the partnership exemplifies that commitment.
The virtual field trip is hosted on the Discovery Education Experience platform and on a dedicated public microsite, making it easy for teachers to integrate the experience into their curriculum. Lenovo’s role as the Official FIFA Technology Partner for the 2026 and 2027 World Cups underscores the company’s broader investment in using technology to connect sport, education and global audiences.
Educators across the country can expect to see new lessons that not only teach STEM concepts but also illustrate how those concepts appear on the field, in the locker room and in the business side of professional soccer. By coupling sport with technology, the initiative hopes to spark a new generation of students who view learning as an adventure that extends far beyond the classroom walls.