A Different Kind of Back to School “Grind”: Harambee Institute Steps Up its Game

By Partnering With Nike Reuse-A-Shoe to Hold Athletic Shoe Drive

School Sets Goal of Collecting 1,000 Pairs of Sneakers in 90 days

Don’t know what to do with your old running shoes that are taking up space in your closet? Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School has teamed up with Nike to keep old sneakers out of landfills and recycle them into sports and recreational facilities around the country. To kick off the new school year, Harambee will hold a Nike Reuse-A-Shoe drive, with the goal of collecting 1,000 pairs by the middle of November.

“By partnering with Nike Reuse-A-Shoe, Harambee has the opportunity to lead our community towards a more sustainable future,” said Harambee Business Manager Jay Caldwell. “The program gives our students the opportunity to be part of something that is both environmentally conscious and socially responsible.”

Founded in 1990, Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program takes worn-out athletic shoes and recycles them into an innovative raw material, called Nike Grind. The material is used to build sports and recreational surfaces, such as running tracks, basketball courts and playgrounds, for schools and communities with demonstrated need throughout the country. Nike Grind materials have also been used to create new Nike products, like zipper pulls, buttons, and shoes for the company’s Considered Design line.

Harambee kicks off its collection drive on September 16 at the school where it will run through November 11. Sneakers can be dropped off at the front reception area at: Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School, located at 638 North 66th Street in Philadelphia, during normal school hours. The school aims to donate 1,000 pairs of athletic shoes.

For more information on Harambee’s collection efforts or how you can donate, call 215-472-8770 or visit www.histcs.org. For more information on the program or the Nike Grind material, visit the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe website at www.nikereuseashoe.com.

About the Harambee Institute Science and Technology Charter School
The mission of Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School is to develop and encourage children from kindergarten through eighth grade to fully participate in the exploration of science and technology. In addition to the technical environment, students are taught values and self-disciplines, as well as art expression, music appreciation and physical development from a cultural frame of reference and thematic teaching.

About Nike Reuse-A-Shoe
Nike Reuse-A-Shoe is an integral part of Nike Sustainable Business and Innovation. The unique recycling program turns worn-out athletic shoes of all brands into Nike Grind, a material used in sports and playground surfaces. Since its inception in 1990, Reuse-A-Shoe has recycled more than 25 million pairs of shoes. The recycled shoes are given new life in sports and playground surfaces around the world.