Pharrell Williams’ Non-Profit YELLOW and Cisco Unite to Help Reimagine Education

Grammy award-winning, Academy Award-nominated Musician and Filmmaker, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Pharrell Williams discusses role of tech in education and future of work with Cisco CEO at Cisco LIVE 

News Summary:  

• Cisco partners with musician Pharrell Williams’ Non-Profit YELLOW to power an inclusive learning experience at a school of the future.
• Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins and Pharrell Williams discuss empowering underserved historically marginalized youth with the tools and education they need to succeed.
• YELLOWHAB, YELLOW’s first microschool, will use Cisco’s technology including: The Webex Suite, Secure X, WiFi-6, Meraki, data centers, and DNA Spaces.
• YELLOWHAB serves rising third, fourth and fifth graders tuition free.

LAS VEGAS, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — CISCO LIVE — We don’t know much about the workforce today’s 10-year-olds will eventually enter; in fact, The Institute for the Future reports 85% of the jobs today’s students could apply for in 2030 don’t even exist yet. But some things are certain—they will need a solid education to be adaptable, creative, and tech fluent.  

Driven by its mission to secure an inclusive future for all, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is partnering with multiple Grammy award-winning musician, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Pharrell Williams to provide technology centered around connectivity, collaboration and security at Williams’ school, YELLOWHAB. 

Through YELLOW, Williams wants to “EVEN THE ODDS” for all students to make sure the next generation has the tools and resources they need to succeed, especially under-resourced youth. To that end, he created YELLOWHAB, a microschool that gives students an immersive learning experience based on skill, not age. 

“This partnership between YELLOW and Cisco will take the education of our students at YELLOWHAB to the next level,” says Pharrell Williams. “I look forward to our youth experiencing education through Cisco’s state of the art technology which will continuously expand their lens of possibility through which they see themselves, their community, and their futures.”

Cisco Chair and CEO, Chuck Robbins, ties YELLOW’s mission to Cisco’s company purpose: “Cisco’s purpose is to power an inclusive future for all, which includes empowering future generations and making a positive impact on communities around the world. It’s critical that we work together with local partners to ensure that today’s youth learn and realize their potential in a digital age. Everyone needs access to experiential learning, and we’re proud to work with Pharrell and YELLOW to reach historically marginalized communities and close the digital divide.” 

Named after Williams’ non-profit, YELLOW, and “HAB” after their space inspiration of a natural habitat where you learn and grow, YELLOWHAB is located in Norfolk, Virginia, offering small learning cohorts and personalized, competency-based curriculum emphasizing entrepreneurship, arts, culture, and STEM to encourage the skills and mindsets students need to thrive in school and in their local community.   

The school will use Cisco’s technology including: The Webex Suite, Secure X, WiFi-6, Meraki, data centers, and DNA Spaces. This technology will:   

• Build a networking foundation to provide an inclusive and hybrid learning environment
• Drive continued learning anywhere with online classes and video office hours via Webex
• Protect student and educator personal information and data
• Keep kids connected when learning goes beyond the walls of the classroom
• Help fuel innovative research and immersive collaboration

Additional Resources 
Read more about YELLOW 
Watch the video 
Learn about Cisco’s Social Justice Beliefs and Actions  
Explore Cisco’s education solutions

About Cisco
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Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco’s trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

About YELLOW

YELLOW is built on the shoulders of From One Hand to Another (FOHTA), which was founded by recording artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams in 2008 to provide thousands of children across the US the opportunity to attend STEAM-focused summer camps.

Launched in 2019, YELLOW is a non-profit with a mission to EVEN THE ODDS through education, believing that the pull of gravity should not change by zip code and every child deserves an equal opportunity to thrive. YELLOW’s ecosystem approach puts youth at the center and surrounds them with the support they need to realize their unique potential. Building upon Pharrell’s longstanding commitment to his community and education, YELLOW will work to unlock possibility in our youth.

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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.