The roar inside Bank of America Stadium today wasn’t from Sunday’s kickoff—it came from more than 400 energetic elementary students celebrating the official launch of 3rd & Goal, a community partnership created by the Carolina Panthers and Bank of America. Designed specifically to boost the academic and personal trajectory of K-3rd graders across Title I schools, the flagship platform focuses on the most critical window of early childhood development.

Read 20, Play 60, Feel 100

In football, "3rd & Goal" is the moment where preparation, execution and opportunity meet. In education, third grade is that exact same turning point—research shows that students reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade are significantly more likely to succeed throughout their academic careers.

To power student success, the 3rd & Goal platform integrates three daily pillars:

• Read 20: Focused on early literacy, encouraging students to read at least 20 minutes a day. CMS classrooms will feature incentive-based reading challenges where students can collect custom Panthers souvenir charms for their wristbands as they hit reading milestones.
• Play 60 (Presented by Atrium Health): Encouraging 60 minutes of active movement every day to build healthy habits, sharpen mental focus and foster teamwork through physical activity.
• Feel 100 (Presented by Blue Cross NC): Supporting whole-child wellness by giving students self-regulation, empathy and social-emotional learning tools to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

During today's stadium field day, CMS students ran drills alongside Carolina Panthers players, learned wellness tips from health experts and practiced daily reading habits with Panthers cheerleaders, staff and Bank of America volunteers.

"When we talk about the whole child, we're talking about making sure we're putting our kids into the best possible positions to be their best self so that the state of Charlotte is going to be in good hands in a couple years." - Dr. Matthew Slota, Winding Springs Elementary School Principal

At the end of each school year, participating CMS schools will have the opportunity to select 15 outstanding third graders—five for literacy achievements, five for physical education excellence and five for demonstrating positive peer support and wellness—to attend an exclusive year-end 3rd & Goal Field Day at Bank of America Stadium.

With daily dedication to reading 20 minutes, moving for 60 minutes and feeling 100%, CMS students are well-positioned to convert this pivotal third-grade season into a lifetime of success.