BEREA, Ohio – September marks Attendance Awareness Month, and the Cleveland Browns and Stay in the Game! Attendance Network are celebrating with school visits, student contests and activities across Ohio to highlight the importance of showing up to school every day.
Consistent attendance is critical for student success. Students who are not chronically absent are 3.9 times more likely to read on grade level by third grade and three times more likely to graduate high school on time. Yet, in the 2024-25 school year, 25.1% of Ohio students were chronically absent.
The Browns Stay in the Game! Attendance Network will be teaming up with new SITG! ambassadors who will support educational initiatives across Ohio: G Joel Bitonio, S Grant Delpit, DT Shelby Harris. Harris will kick off his ambassadorship with an event in which he will act as the "principal" for a day at Warrensville Elementary School engaging with students throughout campus by stopping into classrooms, the cafeteria, and the library. WR Cedric Tillman, who was announced as an ambassador in 2024 continues to be part of raising attendance awareness through his role for a second straight year.
This September, the Browns SITG! Attendance Network hosted a back-to-school event with ambassador S Grant Delpit visiting William Foster Elementary for students to receive treats, backpacks and supplies provided by Delpit. G Joel Bitonio also held a back-to-school event at Constellation Schools: Stockyard to bring together K-8 students for youth football activations and minute-to-win-it style games. Bitonio provided a backpack stuffed with school supplies for each student in the school.
"My mom's a teacher; she teaches third grade. She's been teaching for thirty years now, and I know how important school is and giving back to the kids that come to school and work hard," Bitonio said at Constellation Schools September 2. "You miss more than ten days a year... you're substantially more likely to drop out or not finish school. And so, we want all these kids, to the best of their ability, to be here in school."
"Every day in school matters, and while September helps us shine a spotlight on attendance, this is a commitment we carry forward all year," Vice President of Community Impact and Foundation, Renee Harvey said. "With the help of our ambassadors, we're able to connect with students in meaningful ways that keep them motivated to show up and succeed throughout the whole school year
In addition to school visits, SITG! will hold social media contests for students throughout September. Each Friday, Browns SITG! channels will feature one student who demonstrates outstanding attendance and commitment to their education. These initiatives are designed not only to celebrate students' dedication, but also to remind families and communities that every day in school is important.
About SITG! Attendance Network:
Launched in 2019 by the Cleveland Browns Foundation, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and Harvard's Proving Ground, the SITG! Attendance Network, now managed by Battelle, works together to reduce chronic absenteeism by bringing together experts, partners, and communities. SITG! Attendance Network partners with the Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati to support attendance efforts throughout the state of Ohio. Together, Stay in the Game! partners with 212 districts and impacts more than 566,000 students throughout. For more information, visit https://stayinthegame.org/.
