Commanders rookies helped make sure cursive doesn't die off in the next generation, teaching KIPP D.C. students the art of signing on autograph during some classroom craft time yesterday. The masterpiece the students and rookies put their signature on featured the traced and painted hand of a rookie alongside the hand of a student.
The canvas illustrated the message of the day: The Commanders are committed to working hand-in-hand with KIPP DC to invest in kids with the first-ever Commanders Junior Academy. The program, which will run three afternoons per week throughout the school year, will serve students through a curriculum that combines academic support, athletic programming and mentorship, as well as nourishing meals and snacks for every participant. The Junior Academy program at this location will also inform future expansion efforts as the Washington Commanders Foundation assesses opportunities to grow the model to serve more students across the District.
To celebrate the launch of the program, Commanders ownership, local officials and the team's 2026 rookies came together at the KIPP DC Smilow campus to have fun and spread the message of perseverance, dreaming big and teamwork. The Smilow campus students set the tone for the morning with their infectious energy. Lining the halls, they welcomed the visiting Commanders with cheering, chanting and homemade posters.
That enthusiasm carried into the Smilow campus gym where Washington Commanders Foundation Chair and Owner Marjorie Harris and others gave remarks about this meaningful partnership. Among this cohort was Sonny Styles. The rookie linebacker, coming off an impressive NFL debut against the Eagles, took the podium to impart an impactful lesson to the rapt students.
"Know where your help's at and use it…that can apply right now at the Youth Academy. You guys have resources around, so many great people here to help you. They want to help you succeed, whatever that may be,'" Styles said. "Don't be afraid to ask the question. Don't be afraid to say, 'I don't know.' Because it's okay to not have it all figured out. That's what the help is here for. All of us standing up here there was probably a point in our lives where we felt like we didn't have it all figured out, but we had people to support us."
Afterschool, the time the Junior Academy will serve students, is often a period where kids might not have or know where their help is. Being a consistent resource and a support during the in-between times out of school and out of the house can make a huge difference in young people's lives.
"Out of school time is an area that's tricky, in every city across the country. And it's an opportunity to say, 'What else can we do?' The teachers teach all day," Commanders Youth Academy Executive Director Susan Schaeffler said. "The Commanders want to lean in and support tutors and support coaches to help kids stay busy and active so they can go to and through college or to and through whatever they want and live a choice-filled life."
A glimpse at what the Junior Academy will do to support kids was on display during yesterday's event. After remarks in the gym, the students split up. One group went out to the renovated turf field donated by the Commanders for a flag football clinic with Flagstar Football coaches and Washington rookies. The second group went into a newly designed classroom for the painting activity with Washington rookies. The kids enjoyed connecting with these role models, leaving their interactions with a memory and a sense that they too can be successful like these players.
"It's important because they can tell us stories about perseverance. How they never gave up and that that's something that we should do to accomplish our dreams," 10-year-old Amari said.
