On Friday, May 10, the NBA and State Farm collaborated with Chicago Public Schools and Heart of America to unveil a renovated STEM room at Genevieve Melody STEM Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois, as part of the State Farm Assist Tracker program.
Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, representing the NBA, joined Principal Tiffany Tillman and several State Farm agents—Linda Mitchell, Dwayne Jackson, and Alexis Rivera—in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of the renovated space.
The new STEM lab, which will help further the students’ drive for innovation and education, features VR headsets, robot kits, drones, video camera equipment, a Cricut machine, and other tools. The lab is also equipped with new furniture and wall finishes.
Afterward, Dosunmu participated in a basketball skills clinic with local youth in the school gymnasium.
Dosunmu founded a nonprofit named the Ayo Dos Foundation, which provides opportunities and inspiration to Chicago youth. As a native of Chicago and now playing for his hometown team, Dosunmu makes it his mission to spread a message of hope, determination, and possibility to the youth in his community and support their passion, talent, and hard work. “Being able to give back to the same city that raised me and made me the man I am today is an unforgettable feeling,” he said.
For the past nine seasons, the NBA and State Farm have come together to turn on-court assists into off-court assists in communities around the country. For every assist made during a regular season, playoff, and Finals game, $5 is donated to enhance STEM learning, technology, and mental health spaces in classrooms and afterschool programs across the country. This collaboration with Chicago Public Schools was facilitated by Children First Fund, the Chicago Public Schools Foundation.
