Almost five years ago, former Seahawk Cooper Helfet and friend Charles Post took a hike through Olympic National Park. It was on that hike that The Nature Project was born. Their intention was simple: to create opportunities for underserved youth to experience the outdoor classroom in the company of their heroes, mentors, and professional athletes.

Today The Nature Project is a full-fledged nonprofit focused on providing underserved youth the opportunity to experience nature alongside a collective of like-minded athletes.

Cooper and fellow former Seahawk Sidney Rice recently visited a Upower class at CHOICE Academy and talked to our students about the importance of setting goals. Cooper, along with current Seahawk K.J. Wright, also came to a class at the Juvenile Detention Center.

They taught an exercise where students literally had to reach for their goals – ultimately realizing that strategies, perseverance, and teamwork are also needed to accomplish goals.

Thank you Cooper, Sidney, K.J., and The Nature Project for helping our students learn a significant lesson.