NEW YORK – Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen has received the March NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente in recognition of his efforts to emphasize the importance of education and provide opportunities for youth throughout Brooklyn, the NBA announced today.  The award recognizes an NBA player each month who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities.

Kaiser Permanente and the NBA are honoring Allen for providing important STEM opportunities and resources for local youth.  Last season, Allen met with students from 4-H, an organization focused on mentorship, to collaborate on “Incredible Wearables,” fitness monitors that track oncourt steps.  In March, he hosted the students at the team’s practice facility to test the wearables on the practice court and participate in a STEM-focused exercise incorporating basketball and computers.  Allen also helped launch the team’s NETSTEM initiative earlier this season, a program that uses basketball themes to teach kids about STEM topics and is provided to select schools at no cost.  By the end of the 2018-19 school year, the program will be implemented in as many as 20 New York City schools and benefit more than 500 students.

Additionally, Allen has held back-to-school events for local Brooklyn youth for the past two years, providing them with free haircuts and school supplies.  In November, he hosted his second annual Thanksgiving shopping spree for 25 kids from Ingersoll Community Center and Children of Promise, giving each participant a calculator, a sample grocery list and a $100 budget to teach them financial literacy and math skills.  Allen has also made several visits to the Brooklyn Hospital Center to lift the spirits of young patients and attended the team’s Basketball Academy Youth Camps.

“STEM education is something I’m really passionate about, so being able to share that passion with kids in the Brooklyn community was a blast,” Allen said. “I want to be able to give kids access to new and exciting educational opportunities and help open their eyes to the world of possibilities that exist for them.”

Before the Nets’ home game against the Toronto Raptors tonight (7:30 p.m. ET), Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks and NBA Vice President of Social Responsibility Tara Schwartz will present the award to Allen during an oncourt ceremony.  In addition, Kaiser Permanente and the NBA will donate $10,000 on Allen’s behalf to Children of Promise.

The NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente honors the standard set by NBA legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece.  At the end of the 2018-19 regular season, the Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award winner will be announced at the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia.  To learn more, please visit http://www.nba.com/communityassist/.