Pharrell Williams has reportedly teamed up with Verizon to launch a new music education program at Verizon innovative Learning schools nationwide, Billboard reports. The new initiative was announced on Friday (April 26).
The program, which was launched under the Verizon Foundation, will reportedly provide free technology, Internet access, and tech-focused curriculums to under-resourced middle schools around the country. The organization will also offer access to the Verizon Innovative Learning Lab that will include cutting-edge technology such as virtual reality and robotics. The lab will be located at a middle school in Pharrell’s hometown, Virginia Beach.
“I want all children to have access to that kind of creative growth, access and support. All kids, not just my own,” the producer told Billboard in a new interview. “There’s a lot of variables in a situation as to why something falls apart, but there’s only one scenario where it holds together, and that’s when all the variables are there. The environment, the family, the school, the system — there’s so many things. We just want to do what we can to balance the odds so that as many kids as we can afford, or help and assist in whatever ways, get this access and support.”
Pharrell is also gearing up for the inaugural Something in the Water festival. The one-day concert kicks off this Friday (April 26) with performances by Missy Elliott, Migos, Pusha-T, SZA, and more.