SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC and its charitable partner, RAVE Foundation, today announced that the club is teaming up with its climate justice partners at EarthGen to transform Chinook Middle School in SeaTac into a greener, healthier space for students and the community. The event, scheduled to take place this Wednesday, November 9 at 9:00 a.m. PT, is part of EarthGen Day of Service, an initiative created to help turn school campuses into living laboratories where students can learn about their connection to the environment. This collaborative project and joint effort align with Rave Green’s commitment to Protect Our Planet, one of the four pillars of the club’s social justice framework.
As an organization, Sounders FC is dedicated to environmental causes. In 2019, the club became the first carbon neutral professional soccer team in North America and first carbon neutral professional sports team in the United States, with an ongoing commitment to reduce the carbon footprint when possible and measuring and offsetting emissions that remain. The Rave Green also continually collaborate with community partners to educate youth most affected by environmental injustice and empower them to improve community health outcomes.
The club has teamed up with EarthGen for a few years now. Earlier this summer, both organizations came together to celebrate the opening of two new mini-pitches built by RAVE Foundation and partners at Barge-Lincoln Elementary School in Yakima. The celebratory ceremony supported the club’s commitment to Defend the Right to Play for youth in historically marginalized communities where access to free, available play-spaces is scarce. Students and Sounders FC academy players, staff members and volunteers attending this Wednesday’s EarthGen Day of Service project, will help restore part of the campus to the native forest habitat to provide ecosystem services like better management of stormwater runoff. Students have learned about native species and they're passionate about planting native shrubs and trees.
EarthGen is a non-profit organization that guides and supports youth, educators and school communities to become leaders for a healthy environment. Through EarthGen’s science-based and action-oriented programs, the organization brings together students, educators, schools and community partners from across Washington state to create collective action for change. Together, EarthGen and its community partners develop K-12 educational programs and work collaboratively with school communities to equip students to become leaders in tackling climate change and creating equitable communities.
When it comes to Chinook Middle School, the school population is 712 made up of 48% female students and 52% male students, with a minority enrollment of 90%. The school enrolls 77% economically disadvantaged students every year.
WHAT: EarthGen Day of Service
WHEN: Wednesday, November 9 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. PT
WHERE: Chinook Elementary School (18650 42nd Avenue South, SeaTac, WA 98188)
WHO: Seattle Sounders FC Academy players and staff members, Chinook Middle School students as well as EarthGen volunteers and representatives
HOW: Media interested can RSVP or receive more information by contacting Gisselle Pichardo of Sounders FC Communications [GisselleP@SoundersFC.com]
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