The National Soccer Hall of Fame at FC Dallas’s Toyota Stadium opened last October as one of the most innovative and technology forward experiences in sports. It is powered by NEC’s facial recognition technology and features a multitude of interactive and gesture-based exhibits.
“Guests who visit the National Soccer Hall of Fame can’t wait to come back. That’s the telltale sign of an overwhelmingly positive response,” said Djorn Buchholz, executive director of the NSHOF. “What’s so special about this space is that it offers something for everyone. The 400-plus artifacts tell the story of soccer in the U.S., while the fun, interactive experience is ideal for those kids who want to learn the game. It’s truly a unique marriage of history and high tech.”
Now, the NSHOF is planning to add a new initiative to its program. STEAM FC, which will begin beta testing in May and then launch in full this fall, aims to boost science, technology, engineering, arts, and math education in the Frisco, Texas, area and beyond. It will trade on the interest students may have in the game of soccer to make STEAM subjects more approachable and better understood.
STEAM FC will connect physics, mathematics, and other subjects crucial to the academic development and career prospects of students to both the game of soccer and the operations of a professional sports venue. It will feature project-based learning, and will be aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards. The program’s curriculum will apply knowledge to practical applications and expose students to new and innovative ideas.
“We’re excited to highlight the opportunities that sports, in this case soccer, offer students who pursue careers in science, technology, education, arts, or mathematics,” said Brooke Leverette, manager of the FC Dallas Foundation. “It’s also important to showcase how STEAM principles live within many different disciplines in the sports industry. We hope students walk away with a better understanding of those opportunities.”
Groups of up to 100 students will visit the NSHOF and Toyota Stadium approximately 50 times per year, spending nearly five hours in the building per session. Each visit will consist of a TEKS-aligned lesson in an interactive learning environment, tours of the NSHOF and Toyota Stadium, and the chance to experience a movement lab. The last piece—a combination of a soccer skills clinic and practical STEAM education lesson—will allow kids to engage their bodies alongside their minds on soccer fields adjacent to the stadium.
The initiative is being created in partnership with the Frisco Independent School District, and aims to host all 5,000 of the area’s 6th-grade students during the 2019-20 school year. The district has played a major role in building both the STEAM education program and the NSHOF itself.
“FISD is a partner on a number of levels. The district is a partner in Toyota Stadium and played a vital role in relocating the National Soccer Hall of Fame to Frisco,” Leverette said. “FISD has also been instrumental, as the experts in education, in driving our curriculum development.”
According to Katie Kordel, chief academic officer for the FISD, the chance to work with both an MLS franchise and the NSHOF has been a unique opportunity for a public school district. “This public-private partnership is creating opportunities for Frisco ISD students that otherwise would not exist,” she said. “Students cannot dream to be what they cannot see. Engaging with a study trip experience that uses a STEAM approach to expose students to the game of soccer and the business of sports will expand their thinking. The business of sports involves analytics, athletic training, marketing, public relations, plant science, and culinary arts, to name just a few fields.”
Buchholz hopes that students, parents, and teachers will gain a better understanding of STEAM principles and the career opportunities available to them from STEAM FC. He also believes the initiative will cement the NSHOF’s place in its local community, and maybe the beautiful game’s place in the U.S.
“Beyond being a sports and entertainment venue, it’s important for any facility with a story and legacy like the National Soccer Hall of Fame to be a member of the community, not just a venue,” said Buchholz. “A core pillar of the FC Dallas Foundation is to further educational opportunities and healthy living, and we look forward to doing that in a very special way through STEAM FC.”
Jesse Lovejoy is the Director of 49ers EDU and the 49ers Museum. He’s also Managing Partner of EDU Academy, which has worked with the National Soccer Hall of Fame to create the STEAM FC program. In his free time, he hangs out with his wife Stephanie, daughter Vivienne, and their two rescue dogs, Buster and Lucy, and nerds out on different ways to inspire young learners.