Stephen and Ayesha Curry are paying it forward by giving back to students. The couple’s Eat.Learn.Play foundation has committed to raising $50 million over the next three years to support Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) students.
According to the Eat.Learn.Play‘s website, the nonprofit is focused on “improving Oakland public schools to transform the school experience for a generation of students.” Founded in 2019, Eat.Learn.Play partnered with Lockwood STEAM Academy to help serve the district. Their mission includes ensuring that students are provided with meals, receive academic support and opportunities to participate in youth sports.
Thus far, the organization has done much for the community, raising $47 million, donating $6 million to literacy programs, and delivering 25 million meals.
The NBA star noted that they chose to invest in Oakland schools because it’s their adoptive home and where they started their family. “Eat.Learn.Play is rooted in Oakland, services Oakland, and from day one [Oakland] will continue to be a priority,” Stephen said during a press conference on Wednesday.
“Thirty-five thousand kids are serviced through the Oakland Unified School District and these kids deserve access to healthy and nutritious meals, the ability to be supported in their educational journey … and being able to create amazing play spaces and courts where they feel safe and they feel seen and can express themselves and imagine who they want to be when they grow up,” he continued.
Since it’s launch in 2019, Eat.Learn.Play has refurbished 12 school and community playgrounds, provided millions of meals during the pandemic, invested in literacy initiatives, and supplied free books to Oakland youth.