Travis Scott has revealed plans for a $5 million initiative named Project HEAL, supporting education and mental health efforts.
According to a press release, the program is a multi-tier, long-term series of community-focused philanthropy and investment efforts. The Houston-rapper kicked off with a $1 million pledge with the Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund to grant $10,000 scholarships to students who have excelled academically yet face financial struggles that may prevent graduation.
Past recipients were students at various HBCUs including Howard University, Morehouse College, Texas Southern University, Grambling State University, and Prairie View A&M University—Scott’s grandfather’s alma mater where he also served as an educator.
“My grandfather was an educator who made a difference in thousands of young lives throughout his life,” expressed the “SICKO MODE” rapper. “He is a major influence on me and countless others, whose dreams he believed in, whose hopes he invested in, and whose futures he made big. It’s in his spirit that we are creating projects and programs that will look to the future of our communities and create hope and excellence in as many lives as possible.”
Project HEAL also aims to focus on providing mental health resources to support services for young people in lower-income communities of color, many of whom have few available or accessible. Travis Scott has pledged seven figures to fund digital counseling and telephone hotlines, and free programs with licensed professional counselors and social workers. Houston-based behavioral health expert, Dr. Janice Beal will lead efforts.
Lastly, Scott revealed a plan to address safety challenges for large-scale live events through funding the US Conference of Mayors Task Force on Event Safety and a tech-driven device currently in development. According to the press release, this solution is a culmination of stakeholder inputs from key experts from the tech sector, government, emergency response, event management, health, and public safety experts.
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