WHOOP and Jackie Robinson Foundation Announce Partnership and Grant for Student Scholarships
All Jackie Robinson Foundation Students to Receive WHOOP Memberships and Technology
BOSTON, MA (June 21, 2021) – WHOOP, the human performance company, and the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) today announced a partnership centered around a grant that will support three JRF scholars in their pursuit of higher education. In addition to providing several scholarships, WHOOP will also give its industry-leading wearable technology and accompanying memberships to all 242 participating JRF scholars so they may optimize their health and wellness goals.
Founded in 1973 by Rachel Robinson, wife of Jackie Robinson, the JRF works to advance higher education for underrepresented students by providing four-year scholarships and a comprehensive set of support services to highly motivated students attending colleges and universities throughout the country. As a result, JRF scholars hold a consistent 98% graduation rate, which is more than twice the national average for African American college students.
By supporting three scholars over the course of their four-year undergraduate experiences starting in fall 2021, WHOOP is committing to helping these students pursue their passions and carry on the legacy of Jackie Robinson through his foundation and its 1,700 alumni. This partnership also underscores the commitment that WHOOP has to diversity, equity and inclusion and the alignment of both organizations to drive positive change at the intersection of sports, business, science and education.
“Jackie Robinson was a pioneer in sports and a national symbol of courage and values-driven leadership,” said Will Ahmed, WHOOP Founder and CEO. “The Jackie Robinson Foundation has carried on his important legacy and emerged as one of the most successful charities for advancing equal opportunity amongst young, underprivileged students. We look forward to supporting JRF and its scholars for years to come.”
For WHOOP, supporting people in their pursuit of knowledge, improvement and excellence is a kindred mission. College sports teams across the country, including athletic departments at schools like Howard University and the University of Tennessee, leverage WHOOP to improve student-athlete performance. Optimal sleep and health are key factors in achieving academic success and studies show that people who wear WHOOP experience longer and more consistent sleep as well as improved physiology. WHOOP is the only product of its kind approved for in-game use by Major League Baseball and it is currently used by more than a dozen teams to improve player performance.
“For 48 years, JRF has worked to level the playing field in the workplace, having disbursed nearly $100 million in aid to talented, young people who have gone on to become leaders in their professions and communities,” said Della Britton, president of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. “We are so grateful to WHOOP for recognizing the importance of our mission and for such generous support. We’re excited to be working with such an innovative and dynamic company that stands for the same ideals embodied in the legacy of our namesake.”
In his lifetime, Jackie Robinson broke barriers as the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in 1947, a National League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player while on the Brooklyn Dodgers, a Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. In addition to his significant achievements in sports, Jackie worked to close the education gap and stood up for diversity, equity and inclusion during a time of intense national division.
A permanent tribute of this life and legacy, the Jackie Robinson Museum will be located in New York City, and will open in 2022.
To learn more about WHOOP, please visit: https://www.whoop.com/
To learn more about the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship program, please visit: https://www.jackierobinson.local/our-programs/scholarship-program
About WHOOP
WHOOP, the human performance company, provides a membership for 24/7 coaching to improve health. The WHOOP membership comes with free hardware (the new Whoop Strap 3.0), a coaching platform designed to optimize your behavior, and a community of high performers. WHOOP members range from professional athletes and Fortune 500 CEOs to fitness enthusiasts and endurance competitors to executives and military personnel. Studies show WHOOP can positively change behavior, increase sleep, and improve physiological biomarkers. Founded in 2012, WHOOP is based in Boston and has raised more than $200 million in venture capital. Visit whoop.com for the latest company news and connect with WHOOP on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
About the Jackie Robinson Foundation
Since 1973, the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) has perpetuated the memory of Jackie Robinson by providing generous four-year scholarships and comprehensive support to highly motivated college students with financial need to ensure their success and develop their leadership potential. A new online platform, JRF Impact, will share JRF’s celebrated “42 Strategies for Success” curriculum with a broader college student population. With the upcoming opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City, the Foundation will build on the legacy of Jackie Robinson by educating and inspiring the general public around his heroic story and the ideals and values that defined his life. Learn more by visiting jackierobinson.org
Media Contacts
Melanie Prior, WHOOP
978-476-4652
melanie.prior@whoop.com
Cecilia Marshall, Jackie Robinson Foundation
646-989-2779
cmarshall@jackierobinson.org
