SYMPOSIUM STUDENT SPONSORSHIP
INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHANGEMAKERS
A DONATION IN ANY AMOUNT TO SUPPORT STUDENT ATTENDANCE
OR
A STUDENT BENEFACTOR TABLE SPONSORSHIP -$2,000.00
Click here to make a tax deductible donation
THE DRAKE GROUP EDUCATION FUND, Inc. is a Connecticut nonprofit corporation operating through a fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund, a Maryland charitable trust recognized by IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178, ppf.org/pp). Contributions to THE DRAKE GROUP EDUCATION FUND are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Why Our Donors/Sponsors Make It Possible for Students to Attend at No Cost.
Conferences such as the Symposium are important professional development activities for students that they typically cannot afford. They get to hear and meet members of the national sports and higher education media, leaders and key influencers from national sports governance organizations and higher education organizations working in their chosen career field, members of the U.S. Congress and their staff, and nationally recognized experts in the economic and legal aspects of college athletics. One hundred sports management, sports law, and other currently enrolled students in sports-related majors from colleges and universities within 60 miles of Washington D.C. (with preference given to students from HBCUs and other low-resourced institutions) will attend at no charge thanks to sponsors and donors. We believe they are the future leaders who will ensure that college athletics is a safe and rewarding experience, free from race and sex discrimination, and delivering on the promise of receiving a meaningful education.
Why Student Attendance is Important
Graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in majors leading to sports-related careers have limited curricular exposure to the most critical issues in intercollegiate athletics:
- the educational and economic exploitation of predominantly minority athletes;
- mental, physical, and emotional abuse of college athletes by coaches;
- the regular practice of specially admitting underprepared athletes coupled with fraudulent academic counseling practices that keep them eligible to participate instead of meeting their remediation needs;
- failure to graduate the football and basketball players who generate billions in revenues;
- inadequate medical insurance and no medical trust to help college athletes deal with dementia, Parkinson’s and other long-term effects of brain trauma and athletic injuries; and
- extraordinary time demands of coaches that negatively impacts the ability of athletes to fulfill their academic obligations.
As important to these future leaders is their exposure to expert views on solving these challenges and encouragement to pursue such changes.
Educational Materials, Mentoring and Networking Opportunities. In addition to formal expert panel presentations, students in attendance will receive the following mentorship and networking opportunities:
- Issue experts are seated at each student table for lunch to answer questions and provide advice;
- Each student receives a complimentary subscription to the TDGEF newsletter;
- Each student receives a complimentary student membership in The Drake Group, our sister organization that works directly with Congress on policy issues;
- Each student receives issue summaries and research papers on all topics covered at the symposium; and
- All students participate in a closing cocktail/networking gathering that enables them to meet and interact with panelists and experts as well take advantage of a book exhibit and author autograph signing opportunities.