Seattle Seahawks Youth Empowerment

Akeem Murph Jr, a senior at Rainier Beach High School, was awarded the inaugural Seahawks scholarship with plans to attend a four-year university in the fall to study engineering or architecture.

Akeem's educational pursuit was inspired by watching the construction at his high school. "The omnipresence of the new building got me asking questions about design and architecture, and in so doing discovered interesting facts about plans for how our new building came to be," Akeem said in his application. "Our high school rejected the first design proposal because of the lack of diversity in the architecture team. As a predominantly Black and African American school, this was important to the administration and students. After this revelation, they chose to hire Moody and Nolan instead, one of the first African American-owned architecture firms in Seattle. They are also working with the construction company to get my high school alumni into union jobs. So, my school is literally being built by the community."

"I could see myself as a future architect working hard to hire diverse staff and ensure our projects lift the community we are building in."

The Seahawks invite all Junior 12s to grab a book and join 12 Pages: our reading program that includes our Summer Reading Challenge, school visits, and more. Learn how the Seahawks promote reading across the state or compete individually to be the top overall reader in the Seattle school district area!

In partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of King County, the Seahawks are working to engage youth and teens through interactive leadership programming and opportunities to empower their peers and communities.

Hawks on the Yard is a formalized program focused on providing minority high-school aged students with unique exposure, access, and resources to pursue and/or embark on post-secondary options including minority-serving institutions such as HBCU's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and HSI's (Hispanic-Serving Institutions). We achieve this through three core areas of focus: professional development, mentorship, and personal/character development.

Kicks4Kids is a charitable program started by the best mascot in the NFL: Blitz! All net proceeds go directly to organizations and communities in the Seattle/Tacoma area and across the country to support kids and families in need.