Grammy-winning performer Ciara and Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson are wife and husband. They are a philanthropic couple and have added to their gifts.
Through their Why Not You Foundation, Wilson and Ciara are contributing about $1.75 million to rebrand an existing charter program known as Cascade Midway Academy, south of Seattle. |
Wilson and Ciara said they jumped at the opportunity to help launch the school. It focuses on academics, personalized student plans and internships and mentorships for underserved Black and brown students. The couple said they hope this will be the first of many Why Not You Academy sites across the country.
“I’m really confident…about the team that we have here and how we’re building things out,” Ciara said. “We’re passionate about everything. We’re all in on this.”
The Why Not You Academy is expected to open in fall 2021, just as the deadline to authorize new charter schools is set to expire in the state.
Wilson said this a subject they are passionate about. Wilson and Ciara have previously supported the Seattle-based Rainier Scholars program that helps low-income students of color prepare for college and the Rwanda Girls Initiative, which runs a science and technology-focused boarding school for girls in Africa.
“We’ve been so committed over the past four years to education,” Wilson said. “This isn’t anything political for us.”