Visit from the champ: Olympic bobsled medalist Elana Meyers recently visited Northwood Academy Charter School.
Two-time Olympic bobsled medalist Elana Meyers recently paid a visit to Northwood Academy Charter School, 4621 Castor Ave.
Meyers delivered a speech during an assembly to about 790 students in kindergarten through eighth grade about setting goals, dreaming big and persevering in the face of setbacks. Northwood was one of two schools in the nation to win a visit from an Olympic athlete through Classroom Champions, a program that connects athlete mentors with students at high-need schools.
Northwood, the only school in Pennsylvania currently participating in Classroom Champions, won the contest by submitting a video that detailed how students were cheering on Team USA in Sochi, Russia. Meyers has been working with a fifth-grade class at Northwood since last September.
Meyers most recently competed in the Winter Olympics earlier this year, winning a silver medal with teammate Lauryn Williams.
Classroom Champions is aimed at providing students with accessible, long-term role models who motivate and educate them on topics like goal-setting, fair play and healthy habits. At the same time, it’s geared toward increasing digital literacy. The students communicate with their athlete mentor each month via video messages and real-time video conferencing. For more information, visit www.classroomchampions.org ••
