Educated Encounters for Student-Athletes

Educated Encounters is a unique program designed to help students and athletes have positive interactions with law enforcement. The Educated Encounters team understands that negative consequences attached to incidents involving our student-athletes can seriously mar the reputations of athletes, coaching staffs, educational institutions and even law enforcement agencies.  Such incidents can be costly and have long lasting effects to all parties involved.  By reinforcing appropriate and positive conduct, we provide our youth with the tools required to safely navigate interactions with police so that they may be resolved with the best outcomes possible.   

Educated Encounters originated as a school-based educational program designed by law enforcement executives, career prosecutors and educational leaders to foster better relationships between students and law enforcement. Interactions between youth and law enforcement can be confusing and anxiety-producing, and the tensions created can lead to outcomes detrimental to both sides.  This program is designed to develop strategies to mitigate rather than aggravate factors which result in negative experiences and outcomes. 

Since negative police interactions are largely avoidable, we believe we owe our student-athletes an education which includes strategies to successfully navigate potential law enforcement encounters. Our philosophy is that a conversation which educates youth on their rights, as well as on the roles and responsibilities of police officers, can help reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings and adversarial relationships and therefore result in a better understanding and respect for rules, laws, and compliance. 

Our Student-Athlete program consists of a one and a half (1.5) hour block of instruction whereby members of the Educated Encounters team provide participants with a fundamental understanding of their Constitutional rights through scenario-based discussions. This creates a forum to address questions and concerns of participants, and is designed to help students understand how to have safer interactions with police. 

The Educated Encounters staff is comprised of active and retired law enforcement officers with no less than 25 years of distinguished service, many of whom have backgrounds as athletes and have competed at the high school and collegiate levels.  The officers selected to teach this program have backgrounds in coaching and/or facilitating youth programs and have worked with juveniles throughout their careers.  

Our programs have reached over 2,000 students to date. Most recently, the Educated Encounters team was asked to provide this program for the University of Minnesota Football Team, a highly regarded team in the Big 10 Conference. This training was extremely well received and was met with positive feedback from coaches and student-athletes alike.