Members of Scott’s Family Join Local Public Students at Attucks Middle School for Garden Clean-Up Initiative and Tree-Planting Event
In celebration of Earth Day 2022, artist and performer Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Foundation recently hosted a Cactus Jack Gardens Initiative at Attucks Middle School in Houston. The event included a school garden cleanup and an opportunity for students to plant twenty trees.
Cactus Jack Gardens is a community garden initiative across public schools in the greater Houston area where students will learn agricultural economics and nutritional skills in an effort to combat food insecurity. The Earth Day celebration marked the second event of the initiative since its launch in 2021.
Members of Scott’s family were joined by dozens of Attucks Middle School students, community partners, and local organizations for the student-focused inaugural Earth Day event, which involved cleaning up the school’s existing garden, building additional gardens beds, and planting twenty new trees, including a “Peace Tree” to encourage students to resolve their conflicts without violence.
The Scott family has been involved in community-level advocacy and philanthropy for years, with a focus on creating opportunities for young people in lower-income communities of color. The Cactus Jack Gardens Initiative is one of several projects of the Cactus Jack Foundation, including a previously announced effort to donate $1 million to HBCU students experiencing financial challenges.
Wanda Webster, Travis Scott’s mother, said: “Today is a wonderful day. We’re so excited to have all the kids together today and be a part of bringing science and the environment and planting to life. This is our Sunnyside family, and we’re so proud and happy to be a part of this community. We look forward to continuing our work with HISD and its students, to helping bring events like today’s to even more schools. I want to thank all the volunteers, the school and Principal Wyllie for helping make all of this possible – Happy Earth Day!”
Shani Wyllie, Principal at Attucks Middle School, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see so many of our students out here today, taking action together to build something beautiful. Today’s work is particularly important and powerful, showing our students the value and importance of growing fresh food – right here in our school that is in a food desert. The Cactus Jack Foundation is a true partner to us and we’re grateful for their commitment to our school and our entire community.”
Tanya Moore, STEM Coordinator at Attucks Middle School, said: “Today’s event brought our students out of the classroom – and our lessons in science, the environment, and sustainability to life. We’re giving our kids voices and new tools for driving action right here at our school, but also wherever else they choose to impact change.”
Cactus Jack Gardens is a community garden initiative across public schools in greater Houston where students will learn agricultural economics and nutritional skills in an effort to combat food insecurity.
In addition to the Earth Day event of the Cactus Jack Gardens Initiative, Travis Scott recently launched Project HEAL, a multi-tier initiative dedicated to addressing challenges facing today’s youth, especially those from marginalized and at-risk communities. In conjunction with the Cactus Jack Foundation, Project HEAL unites initiatives ranging from academic scholarships, free mental health resources, a creative design center and career incubator, and a first-ever, tech-driven solution for event safety. These efforts, independently and collectively, aim to solve challenges and overcome issues impacting young people.