Slant 45 kicks off with a BANG!

There's a new DFW service-learning partnership under way - with Big Thought at the helm!
We were chosen by the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee to form an unprecedented yearlong education partnership. Named Slant 45, this project promises to be one of the largest community-wide service-learning programs for children in U.S. history.

We kicked off Slant 45 on September 21st with a press conference at Cowboys Stadium. In attendance were Super Bowl MVPs and famous Cowboys football players like Roger Staubach, Daryl Johnston, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Cliff Harris. The football greats were joined by Former President George Bush and his wife, Laura, NFL Senior Director of Events Frank Supovitz, Richard Holt, President of Bank of America Dallas, North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee CEO Bill Lively and our very own Gigi Antoni, President/CEO of Big Thought - as well as several hundred DFW Metroplex students anxious to learn what this new project is all about (and get some free lunch from Chick-fil-a!). There was even a special guest - American Idol 2007 winner Jordin Sparks sang a few songs and energized the crowd!

More about the project:

• Slant 45 stands for "Service-Learning Adventures in North Texas," in cooperation with Super Bowl 45 - and it's also the term for a popular play used by the Dallas Cowboys in the 90s!
• The purpose of Slant 45 is to inspire local kids to research community service opportunities in their neighborhoods and submit a project. What makes it a service-learning project is the opportunity that those students will have to reflect on what they've accomplished and the impact it's had not only on the community, but also on themselves.
• Big Thought is developing a curriculum and method for researching, choosing and reflecting on projects. It will be available for students and group leaders when the project actually begins in early January 2010.
• Slant 45 is mainly for student groups and classes around grades 3-5, though other age groups are certainly welcome. We hope to affect 20,000+ students all across the DFW Metroplex, inspiring them to commit to upwards of 45,000 hours of community service.

Want to know even MORE? We've collected articles and blog posts about the announcement on our News & Media page, and the Slant 45 website is also available with more information on how to get involved.

Help us help kids to make a BIG difference in their community!