SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tennis champion Andre Agassi, Turner Impact Capital CEO Bobby Turner, Hawking STEAM Charter School, District 8 Councilmember Vivian Moreno and leaders from the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund today celebrated the official opening of a new charter school campus, Hawking STEAM Charter School Site 2 in South San Diego.
The 60,000 square-foot campus was developed by the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund, a mission-driven social impact investment fund that provides resources and real estate expertise to high-performing charter school operators across the nation. The facility opened in the fall of 2019 and serves students from transitional kindergarten (TK) through sixth grade.
The site is one of two new San Diego-area campuses developed by Turner-Agassi for Hawking STEAM. The other is located in Chula Vista. Together, the two new facilities serve more than 1,100 students through 12th grade.
“I am proud of the innovative and impactful work being done by Hawking STEAM and Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund to educate the students of South San Diego,” said District 8 Councilmember Vivian Moreno. “This beautiful new campus will provide students with the optimal learning environment and the opportunity to reach their highest potential.”
The mission of Hawking STEAM is to provide a seamless, uninterrupted education with an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). In addition to a STEAM academic focus, the curriculum at both school sites places an emphasis on social-emotional awareness with the goal of providing students with the skills to engage in productive public discussions. Hawking STEAM strives to engage students with a holistic approach to academics and produce socially conscious students who are prepared to tackle careers in STEAM fields.
“Hawking STEAM Charter School cares deeply about uplifting students and driving results,” said Bobby Turner, the Fund’s Co-Managing Partner as well as Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Turner Impact Capital. “Through our partnership, this modern and dynamic campus will give students in South San Diego full access to the resources they need to succeed.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate the official opening of the second Hawking STEAM Charter School in San Diego,” said Lorena Chavez, Executive Director, Hawking STEAM Charter Schools. “We are grateful for our partnership with the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund, which has helped us create an innovative, high-quality campus where our students can thrive.”
Securing high-quality, long-term facilities is often one of the greatest impediments faced by charter school leaders. Turner-Agassi provides resources, development experience and a passion for educational excellence to help top school operators focus on their first priority: helping students succeed.
A joint venture of Turner Impact Capital and Agassi Ventures, Turner-Agassi is backed by a world-class group of institutional investors who share a commitment to effecting positive societal change in urban centers across the United States. To date, 96 schools have been developed or are in development across the country, serving 48,980 students in communities such as North Philadelphia, Newark, the Bronx, South Dallas, and North Las Vegas.
“Students in South San Diego are deserving of a world-class facility that will allow them to focus on learning,” said Andre Agassi the Fund’s Co-Managing Partner, CEO of Agassi-Graf Holdings and Chairman of the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. “No matter what community these students come from, this campus will have everything they need to obtain an excellent education.”
The Hawking STEAM campus is an adaptive reuse project that features classrooms, administrative support space, multipurpose space and outdoor playground.
Turner-Agassi takes the lead in site selection, acquisition, design and construction for new school facilities, which are then leased back to school operators, who can purchase their schools once they reach full occupancy. The fund intends to help operators obtain permanent financing using New Market Tax Credits, tax-exempt bond offerings or funding from the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
“We are very proud of this first-class facility and the springboard it will create for student learning,” said Glenn Pierce, Turner Impact Capital’s President of Education Initiatives. “Hawking STEAM is a fantastic partner, and we applaud their tireless commitment to the students of South San Diego.”
About the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund
The Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund is the nation’s largest fund solely designed to accelerate the growth of high-performing, urban charter schools. Since its inception in 2011, the fund has opened 96 schools serving 48,980 students throughout the United States. With dedicated funding from preeminent social impact investors, the funds are on target to develop a total of 140 schools serving 72,000 students nationally. For more information, please visit www.turnerimpact.com.
