Travis Scott has launched a multi-tier, long-term series of community-focused philanthropy and investment efforts called Project HEAL through his Cactus Jack Foundation. The philanthropic effort will provide $5 million for community-based initiatives in Scott’s home state of Texas.
One of the four pillars of Scott’s initiatives includes addressing safety challenges for large-scale live events through funding the US Conference of Mayors Task Force of Event Safety and tech-driven device currently in development. A coalition of people in the tech sector, government, emergency response, event management, health and public safety sectors will work together to most effectively address the safety challenges faced by future large-scale events, which will culminate it in a comprehensive report of recommendations.
In December, Billboard reported that Scott was involved in a new effort to standardize safety measures at festivals across the U.S. after 10 people were killed and hundreds more were injured at the rapper’s Astroworld festival the month prior.
Other efforts included will be $1 million in pledged scholarships for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). With Scott’s support, the Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund will grant $10,000 scholarships to seniors who have reached academic excellence (averaging 3.5 or higher GPA) but who are facing the last-minute challenge of financial adversity in their second semester senior year – and risk not graduating.
According to the Foundation, this is the second year Scott has supported HBCUs, but this year’s contributions have increased tenfold. Past recipients include students at 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. The scholarship is named after Waymon to honor his lifetime of dedication to academic excellence.
“My grandfather was an educator who made a difference in thousands of young lives throughout his life. 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,” said Scott in a release. “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.”
The second pillar of HEAL addresses mental health by pledging “seven figures” to fund digital counseling and telephone hotlines. Scott will provide free programs with licensed professional counsellors and social workers. The effort will be led by Houston-based behavioral health expert Dr. Janice Beal.
“Mental health has traditionally been a taboo subject. As life begins to return to normal, many young people are still suffering and need help to re-adjust after serious disruptions to their experiences at home, in school and within their community,” Dr. Beal in a release. “With Travis Scott’s help, HEAL’s programs will help empower young people to overcome mental health issues and become the best they can be.”
In conjunction with Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Foundation, is a seven-figure expansion of the CACT.US Youth Design Center at TXRX Labs in Houston, a nonprofit makerspace for young artists, designers, tech innovators. The space includes free studio space, work space, tool spaces, job and apprenticeship training, youth education and events. HEAL will fund a new comprehensive creative design education program for the Center through a strategic online partnership with a historically black college or university.
