Ciara and Russell Wilson Launch Why Not You Academy Charter School in Seattle


Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife, singer Ciara Wilson, along with the Why Not You Foundation, has announced the official launch of its first-ever Why Not You Academy in the state of Washington.

The Academy has plans on opening in Fall 2021. The new high school is a partnership between authorized charter public school leaders Garth Reeves and Scott Canfield and the Why Not You Foundation. The charter public school, which plans on being tuition-free, will be operating in full accordance with the Washington state charter school law.

“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 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.”

— Russell Wilson and Ciara

The purpose of the Why Not You Academy is to serve systemically underserved students who are located just south of Seattle. The school will be by providing innovative and tailored learning experiences, all while inspiring tomorrow’s leaders to lead with a why not you attitude.

“I’m really confident … about the team that we have here and how we’re building things out,” Ciara tells The Associated Press. “We’re passionate about everything. We’re all in on this.”

“We’ve been so committed over the past four years to education,” Wilson added. “This isn’t anything political for us.”


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