In conjunction with the Why Not You Foundation, Ciara and Russell Wilson officially open the Why Not You Academy Charter School in Washington state. Set to open this fall, the freshman class of 100 is already set and ready to go.
The school, located in De Moines, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, is what the power-couple called in The News Tribune last year, a “long-time dream.”
In a statement through their foundation, Wilson and Ciara said: “We’ve always held the belief that life’s successes start with a good education, but recognize that access isn’t always created equally for all.”
The announcement concluded with: “This school is a longtime dream of ours and it was important for us to find a way to combine traditional classroom learning with community and mentorship-based activities, in order to prepare kids for the real world. Why Not You is based on the idea that it can start with one and our hope is that this school will be the first of many.”
The new high school is a partnership between authorized charter public school leaders Garth Reeves and Scott Canfield and the Why Not You Foundation. Reeves and Canfield will lead the day-to-day operations of the school.
“By providing students with access to innovative and equitable education opportunities they deserve, Why Not You Academy will equip today’s youth to become tomorrow’s leaders.”
The tuition-free charter public school will be operating in full accordance with the Washington state charter school law.
Wilson created the Why Not You Foundation in 2014. According to the foundation’s website, their mission is one that follows the “Why not You” challenge of Russell’s father.
Founded in 2014, Russell Wilson and Ciara’s Why Not You Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty through education, empowering youth to lead with a why not you attitude. The foundation supports student access to equal education opportunities, children’s health and food security initiatives. Its mission is to equip today’s youth with the skills and opportunities to become tomorrow’s leaders.
To learn more about the Why Not You Academy Charter School, click here.
