Russell Westbrook exclusively shared his dedication to the tech world for the betterment of young adults with PEOPLE.
The Houston Rockets player recently made headlines thanks to a partnership with the LA Conservation Corps, an environmentally focused youth development organization, and philanthropist Chad Brownstein. Westbrook/Brownstein Green Tech Program was launched Aug. 19th in downtown L.A. Students can expect to get training on career skills like coding, computer engineering, and computer literacy. With motivation to promote the benefits of education for at-risk youth, Russell has a lot of hope for his new initiative since it hits close to home.
“I feel like this particular program actually impacts the kids’ futures, impacts their mind, the mentality of where they grew up, where they’re from. I definitely can relate to that because I feel like I was one of those kids growing up in the city of Los Angeles and finding my way, figuring out what was the best path for me.”
He continues:
“I grew up like the kids that I see here today. That is what resonates with me, these people that I can communicate with just because I know what it’s like to grow up in the inner city without certain things, without the resources, without having books, without having the right things to be successful, without having the tools to be able to do that.”
Westbrook also admitted that his struggles when he was younger stemmed from not feeling like he had someone to reach out to.
"It was motivation for me to be able to get to a level, to a point, where I can give back to some of the same kids that are in the same situation that I was in.”
Photo: Russell Westbrook Instagram (@russwest44)