What is a partner? To me, it’s the winning combination of mutual care and a shared goal that brought my team and I Olympic gold in bobsledding. It’s our team of experts helping to lift Classroom Champions to new heights. It’s the collection of teachers, administrators, athlete mentors, families – all working towards the collective goal of empowering kids to dream big, make the right decisions, and achieve their goals.

In this sense, that’s the exact reason why another partner of mine is Ask, Listen, Learn.

For the past three years, we’ve been talking to kids around the world about saying “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking. We believe success comes in the form of trusted adults to confide in—such as our enthusiastic teacher community or volunteering Olympians and Paralympians —and in giving kids the knowledge to know what’s unhealthy for their developing brains and bodies. Between our Classroom Champions community and the new digital alcohol education resources from Ask, Listen, Learn, we believe we’re setting our kids up to be smart decision-makers for their health, their schooling, and their lives. We look to inspire the next generation to know the consequences of unhealthy choices, like drinking underage, and to equip them to make healthier choices.

There are a lot of students that don’t have the benefit of Classroom Champions or another like-minded organization, or even a trusted adult, to turn to. Students have varying levels of support at home and in the education setting, and their parents and teachers need resources. When I was in Washington, DC recently, I spoke with the Ask, Listen, Learn team where I touched on the importance of free educational materials for teachers and families that are easy-to-use, supported by standards, and created with multiple goals in mind.

At Classroom Champions, we are thrilled to partner with Ask, Listen, Learn and we encourage you to check out the resources available to become part of their community too. You can also sign up for their email newsletter with additional free materials and program updates along the way.

Thanks for being my partner in this journey to create happy, healthy futures for kids.