Newz Forum: FOOTBALL: NFL helping children cope with Sept. 11

This weekend, households across the country will turn on their TV sets and welcome the return of NFL football as the league kicks off its 2004 season. But NFL fans and their families can now bring the NFL into their homes in a different way through a free kids program to help parents and kids talk about the events of September 11th and cultural understanding. The free, web-based One World materials can be downloaded on the One Worldweb site or by logging on to the NFL's new community site.

As we approach the third anniversary of the September 11th attacks, many children will again struggle with post 9-11 fears about people who have different ethnic, religious or cultural beliefs than themselves. The One World program will help parents and teachers talk with children to help them understand, rather than fear, people of different cultures.

These free, web-based materials include a 32-page reading and writing journal that can be used in the home by parents and children; a teaching guide for classroom instruction; and an interactive game with role-playing scenarios.

"The NFL wants to ensure that the legacy of September 11th is one, not of prejudice and hate, but of unity, tolerance and cultural understanding," said NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. "Educators tell us that this program meets an important need in the classroom," said NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw. "Our hope is that all children will have the opportunity to learn and benefit from One World, whether it's a girl from an ethnically-diverse neighborhood in the Bronx or a boy from Boise who has yet to be introduced to cultures other than his own."

The One World program was created in partnership with Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company, and Facing History and Ourselves, a nonprofit educational organization.