University of Cincinnati Students and Faculty Volunteer for Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) All Star Basketball Showcase

UC Sport Administration Students Volunteer

University of Cincinnati (UC) Sport Administration undergrad students, and students from UC’s online master’s program, volunteered for the Cincinnati Public School (CPS) All Star Basketball Showcase on Saturday, March 30. Graduate Assistant Sydney Waiters handled the sponsorships for the event, while Graduate Assistant Rod Flint managed the Volunteers and Operations side of the huge turn out this year.

There were 50 student volunteers in all; 20 students are enrolled in other UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) programs. A few volunteers assisted with the community fair and Hype Zone. The event was able to bring some real world experience to nearly 30 UC Sport Administration undergraduate students, who volunteered among a variety of areas such as social media, on-court set up and break down/operations. UC senior Gianni Signorino, served as the Event Operations Manager controlling the scoreboard, the music and other digital sponsor’s graphics on the ribbon boards.

Student Athletes Take Center Stage

During the event, nearly 200 student-athletes from approximately 40 different CPS schools were honored. Since the inaugural All-Star Showcase Event in 2022, there has been a significant increase in sponsors (nearly double the amount in 2023) and this has helped forge strong partnerships across the city. The participation of Mayor Aftab Pureval in the dunk contest, the CPS unified band, elementary all-stars, alum and student musical performances, created an electric atmosphere.

Making An Impact

University of Cincinnati efforts, with the unwavering support of local partners and sponsors, led to a $15,000 donation to support Project Connect, benefiting CPS students experiencing homelessness. More than 3,700 students experience homelessness in some way, shape or form in the district, according to Cincinnati Public Schools Athletics Manager Josh Hardin.

The showcase was able to donate $15,000 to Project Connect in 2023 and $10,000 in 2022. With this year’s contribution, a total of $40,000 has been donated to help CPS students in need.

Real World Experience

The CPS All Star Basketball Showcase was just one of many examples where UC undergrad and online grad students are able to learn real-world experience from dedicated UC faculty. The ability our program has to impact students (both past, present, and future) provides a level of satisfaction that can’t be matched. For more information on previous CPS All Star Basketball Showcases, WCPO spoke with volunteers leading up to this year’s event.