George W. Bush and Laura Bush Join Former Cowboys to Announce North Texas Super Bowl 45 Host Committee’s Education Initiative: SLANT 45

Former President George W. Bush, Laura Bush and a host of former Dallas Cowboys joined together at Cowboys Stadium on September 21st to announce “SLANT 45”, the largest community-wide service learning project for children in U.S. History.  The North Texas Super Bowl 45 Host Committee named their initiative after one of the running plays from the Dallas Cowboys playbook in the 1990’s:  Slant 45.  Former Cowboys fullback Daryl “Moose” Johnston, the lead blocker on the running play, is leading the way in the program as the Chairman of the SLANT 45 Action Team. 

Starting in 2010, SLANT 45 (Service Learning Adventures in North Texas) will involve about 20,000 elementary school students in 112 North Texas communities in a combined 45,000 hours of community service and service learning.  The scope of projects is limited only by the children’s imagination.  Civic participation is the goal.  Improving the student’s critical thinking, collaboration, character education and creativity are part of the experience.

More than 2,500 citizens attended the announcement at Cowboys Stadium, including local school children, local mayors and city council members, as well as business and education leaders. 

George W. Bush and Laura Bush are honorary leaders of SLANT 45.  Both approve of the service learning approach which gives students a chance to apply learning to the real world, away from classrooms and formal instruction by connecting life experiences to curriculum objectives.

“This part of the world is full of doers and dreamers,” said former President Bush.  “We want to be involved in a program we think will be transformative.  SLANT 45 will make sure the Super Bowl will leave behind better people…You can learn to love a neighbor just like you’d like to be loved yourself, and realize that when you serve something greater than yourself, you improve your own soul.”

Former Dallas Cowboy Daryl Johnston, as chairman of the SLANT 45 organizing committee, was joined on-stage by former Cowboys teammates Troy Aikman, Daryl Johnston, Jay Novacek, Russell Maryland, and Chad Hennings.  Former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, the Chairman of the North Texas Super Bowl 45 Host Committee also was on-stage with former teammates from the 1970’s era Cowboys like Charlie Waters, Cliff Harris, Rayfield Wright, and Preston Pearson.

“The goal is to carry this beyond the Super Bowl because we’re talking about kids and education,” noted Staubach.  “This is a legacy for our region.”

“As a Host Committee, we want to help the NFL put on a great game and show off our region, but we also want to leave a legacy,” said Johnston who was greeted with a chorus of “Moose” cheers from the crowd as he was introduced.  “That’s what this program is all about. The projects developed by the kids involved with SLANT 45 will be amazing, no doubt, but the lasting effects this effort will have on young minds – that’s what is really exciting. 

“These children will be our leaders in 20 years.  This program will teach them to work together, help the neighbor, and dream big.  It doesn’t get any better than that.”

SLANT 45 is designed and implanted by Big Thought, a North Texas-based nonprofit group that focuses on improving public education through creative learning.  The program will focus on 3rd-through-6th grade students, but can also expand to other ages and grade levels.  Whether it’s learning more about science and ecology through planting a tree, or learning about art while painting a mural on a wall, creative learning while serving the community is the goal of SLANT 45.

The approximately 500 school kids attending the SLANT 45 announcement at Cowboys Stadium not only heard from George & Laura Bush and former Cowboys players, they also were entertained by American Idol star Jordin Sparks who performed two songs.  Sparks’ appearance at the event was a special surprise for the students who also received t-shirts and a free lunch from the Chick-fil-A located on North Collins in Arlington. 

SLANT 45 projects will begin in February 2010.  The length of projects will be determined by individual project teams and may occur over a weekend or over the course of many months.  The culminated event will occur in February 2011 when Super Bowl XLV kicks off in Arlington.

Volunteers, parents, educators and students will play the largest role in the program.  But SLANT 45 is also grateful for the initial funding provided by donations of $500,000 from Bank of America and $500,000 from Dallas philanthropists Ted and Shannon Skokos.

For more information about the program, whether it’s volunteering or signing up students for a service-learning project, go to www.slant45.org or www.bigthought.org.