POWERADE, the Coca-Cola-owned sports drink enterprise, set out in 2017 to support high school athletics across the country by creating the Power Your School contest. 140 schools across the state of Louisiana submitted videos to the Power Your School program this year, and three from the Baton Rouge area were not only named as winners but earned the title of grand prize winners accompanied by a check for $10,000!

The Impact of the Power Your School Campaign

The money that POWERADE is investing in high school athletics goes far beyond Friday night lights. Fostering these programs is part of an effort not only to create meaningful opportunities for young people, but also to strengthen their sense of camaraderie and community, boost motivation and encourage the development of valuable life skills. Being part of an athletic team is often the source of the best memories of growing up. And from relationships fostered to work ethic instilled, high school athletics teaches so many of the skills needed for successful adulthood that just can’t be learned in a traditional classroom.

“This program is extremely important for POWERADE,” said senior brand manager for POWERADE, Julie Siwemuke. “We want to use our platform to power teens and the things that are important to them. Last year was a fantastic start and this year is going to be better! We are in awe of high school athletes through the Power Your School program, POWERADE is committed in helping them on their journeys.”

Big Wins for Louisiana High Schools

The prizes for this contest run from $2,000 to $10,000 per school to be used for preserving playing fields. To enter, athletics programs needed to submit a creative written or video essay expressing why they believed they deserved to win.

Port Allen High, Mentorship STEAM Academy and Zachary High School were the three schools in Baton Rouge named as grand prize winners this year. These schools included, POWERADE will award $220,000 in grants to 54 high school athletic programs in Louisiana. We can’t wait to see how these programs grow in the near future!