Art Shell highlights Black History Month program

Hall of Fame tackle serves as featured speaker for educational seminar offered to students

Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Shell made the trek to Canton, Ohio to speak with students on Thursday and Friday. He took part in the Pro Football Hall of Fame's annual Black History Month Seminar presented as part of the Hall of Fame's educational programs. While Shell was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his play on the field, it was coaching that this program focused on. In 1989, the Los Angeles Raiders named Shell as their head coach making him the first African American head coach of the modern era.

His message to the middle school and high school students was simple and direct. He conveyed that education is the key to their future and also stressed that students must have respect for themselves and others around them. Nearly 800 students and teachers from schools across Northeast Ohio and Indiana attended the seminar at the Hall of Fame and attentively listened as Shell spoke. An additional 1,500 students tuned in from across the United States via the Hall of Fame's videoconferencing technology. In all, students from 31 schools representing 16 states.

The Miami Dolphins also participated in the program. The Dolphins made the videoconference connections possible for three schools in the Miami-Dade County Public School District. One of the schools, Caribbean Elementary, was joined by former Dolphins' linebacker Twan Russell who watched the videoconference broadcast with the students.

Here is a complete list of participating schools both live and through videoconference:

Through Viceoconference Technolgy:
Mountain Gap Middle School - Hunstville, AL
Mabelvale Middle - Little Rock, AR
Canyon State Academy - Queen Creek, AZ
Simas Elementary - Hanford, CA
Carribean Elementary - Miami, FL
Barbara Goleman Sr. High - Miami, FL
Earlington Heights ES - Miami, FL
Patrick F. Taylor Sci & Tech Academy - Jefferson, LA
Kenmoor Middle School - Landover, MD
Buena Vista High School - Saginaw, MI
Uptown School Complex - Atlantic City, NJ
R.T. Cream High School - Camden, NJ
Bennett High School - Buffalo, NY
Sackets Harbor - Sackets Harbor, NY
Nanuet High School - Nanuet, NY
Berea High School - Berea, OH
Valley Middle School - Lucasville, OH
Fairland Middle School - Proctorville, OH
Summit Academy - Columbus, OH
Charles F. Brush HS - Lyndhurst, OH
Dunbar High School - Dayton, OH
Louise Troy Pk-8 - Dayton, OH
Thurgood Marshall - Dayton, OH
Ford Middle School - Berea, OH
Dayton Boys Preparatory Academy - Dayton, OH
Founders Hall Middle School - McKeesport, PA
Chambersburg Area Middle School - Chambersburg, PA
Hodges Bend Middle School Houston, TX
John Wood Charter School - San Antonio TX
Thornburg Middle School - Spotsylvania, VA
Glenwood Schools - Glenwood, WA
Osceola High School - Osceola, WI

On site at the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
Canton South High School - Canton, OH
Timken High School - Canton, OH
Glen Oak High School - Canton, OH
East Canton High School- East Canton, OH
Multi-County Juvenile Attention System - East Canton, OH
Harrison Central High School - Cadiz, OH
Woodridge High School - Peninsula, OH
Tusky Valley - Zoarville, OH
West Geauga - Chesterland, OH
Girard High School - Girard, OH
Glenville - Cleveland, OH
Washington Park Environmental Studies Academy - Cleveland, OH
Maple Heights High School - Cleveland, OH
Lead Academy - Youngstown, OH
Zanesville High School - Zanesville, OH
Washington High School - Massillon, OH
Malvern High School - Malvern, OH
Copley High School - Copley, OH
Dalton High School - Dalton, OH
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy - Gary - IN