Russell Wilson, Ciara to start a public charter high school. It will have a familiar name
Russell Wilson is starting a school. It will have a familiar name.
Calling it “a long-time dream,” the Seahawks quarterback and his wife Ciara announced Wednesday their Why Not You Foundation is beginning a charter high school in the suburb of Des Moines in south King County. The school will open in the fall of 2021 to a freshman class of 100.
It will operate as a tuition-free public high school.
The Wilsons are partnering with Seattle-based charter-school leaders Garth Reeves and Scott Canfield to start the Why Not You Academy.
Seattle’s 31-year-old quarterback says he hopes this school is the first of many he starts.
The Why Not You Foundation said in a statement the school “will operate as a tuition-free public high school in full accordance with the Washington state charter school law, and offer a unique, personalized approach and a high-quality education option for students and families in the Des Moines community.”
“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,” Wednesday’s announcement 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,” Wilson and his wife said in a statement through their foundation. “The Why Not You Foundation was created with the concept of empowering youth to lead with a why not you attitude and that’s why it was important for our foundation to partner with Scott, Garth, and Cascade Public Schools to help open doors for kids from less fortunate backgrounds.
“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.”
Wilson founded his foundation in 2014, when he was in his third year with the Seahawks.
He named it Why Not You after one of his favorite sayings he uses with Seahawks teammates, with kids he’s visited each week for years at Seattle Children’s Hospital and in everyday life.
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Russell Wilson, Ciara to start a public charter high school. It will have a familiar name."
