Community
Students and Police Switch Roles at Hard Rock Stadium's 5000 Role Models Conference
Students from 15 Miami-Dade high schools took part in the conference at Hard Rock Stadium.
On Tuesday, Hard Rock Stadium traded football for something just as important. The Miami Dolphins hosted the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project Police and Youth Conference, where high school students and police officers sat down together, swapped roles, and worked on building trust.
What: The 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project Police and Youth Conference. Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens. When: Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Who: Students from 15 Miami-Dade high schools and several local law enforcement agencies, hosted by the Miami Dolphins.
What happened
Students from 15 high schools across Miami-Dade joined officers from several local law enforcement agencies for a day focused on improving relationships between young people and police. A centerpiece of the conference is role-playing real-life encounters, such as traffic stops, with students sometimes playing the officer and officers playing the young person. The goal is for each side to see the interaction from the other's point of view.
A program with deep local roots
The 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project was started by the Miami-Dade County School Board in 1993, founded by Frederica Wilson when she was a School Board member. The mentoring program works with young men and aims to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by keeping students focused on school, character, and opportunity. For more than 30 years, its police and youth events have given students and officers a place to talk directly.
The Dolphins' role
The Dolphins have hosted the conference at Hard Rock Stadium for years as part of a long-term partnership between team owner Stephen Ross and the 5000 Role Models program, focused on education, social justice, and police and youth relations. The partnership has also included an academic signing day for the program's scholars at the stadium.
Why it matters for Miami Gardens
Hard Rock Stadium is known for big games and concerts, but events like this one show another side of what it can mean for the community. Building trust between young people and police is a goal many Miami Gardens families share. The city has been holding its own community conversations this month too, through its Say Less. Listen More meetings.
Read about the new 911 dispatcher apprenticeship with Miami Dade College and see our free and low-cost things to do in Miami Gardens.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 5000 Role Models Police and Youth Conference?
It is an annual event of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project that brings high school students and law enforcement officers together, often through role-playing real-life encounters, to improve police and youth relations.
Where was the 2026 5000 Role Models conference held?
The Miami Dolphins hosted the conference at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, with students from 15 Miami-Dade high schools and several law enforcement agencies.
Who founded the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project?
The program was started by the Miami-Dade County School Board in 1993, founded by Frederica Wilson when she was a School Board member.
This report is based on local news coverage and information from the Miami Dolphins and the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project as of October 29, 2026. Published: October 29, 2026.
