Week of Will 1.1
09.18.2018

WHEN "WILL" MEANS SERVICE

Baltimore community joins Under Armour to renovate Edmondson-Westside High School

Study after study has shown that the physical environment of a school has a significant impact on the quality of a student’s education. In Baltimore City, due to a multitude of circumstances, there are many schools that are in need of updated facilities but lack in resources and funding.

 

Seeing this need, Under Armour has partnered with the Heart of America Foundation to identify schools to transform and renovate. Now in its third year, Under Armour and the Heart of America Foundation completed its annual Week of WILL – a week of volunteerism and giving back to the city, all rooted in the brand’s ongoing commitment to the Baltimore community.

 

Week of Will 1 2018

Week of Will 1 2018

This year, over the course of the week (Sept 12 – Sept 14), hundreds of Under Armour employees and Heart of America volunteers took time out of their days to provide their time and energy towards renovating Edmondson-Westside High School. This marks the 8th school renovated through the Under Armour / Heart of America Foundation partnership, and the first high school. True to the spirit of community, this year also marked the first Week of WILL where Baltimore community members joined in the renovation efforts; the Johns Hopkins Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse teams as well as the Edmondson-Westside alumni association provided their time and skills to give back and help renovate the school.

 

The school makeover included transforming the school gymnasium, cafeteria, auditorium, locker rooms, teachers’ lounge, main office, weight room, and wrestling room. A variety of projects were done in these spaces, including painting, installing new floors and chairs, assembling lockers, and more. At the end of the week, this equated to:

 

  • 215+ gallons of paint
  • ½ mile of auditorium chairs (or 98 rows) removed and reinstalled
  • 4,500 square feet of carpet installed
  • 8,500 square feet of epoxy flooring applied
  • 255 feet of gym benches planed and sanded
  • 2.5 stories of the auditorium walls cleaned, patched and painted

The facility-wide upgrade will support classroom learning, athletic programming, provide support to teachers and staff, and enhance the school’s civic programming in the auditorium. As the 900+ Edmondson-Westside High School students head back to school this week, they will be greeted with not only new, updated facilities, but with the knowledge that there is a community that supports and believes in them.

 

The school renovations would not be possible without our partners: KNOCK Inc., Freeman, PAINTech, Inc., B&B Blaster, LLC, The Square Yard Inc., D&S Cabinets, Turner Construction, and United Rentals.

 

Before: Teacher's Lounge

Before: Teacher's Lounge

After: Teacher's Lounge

After: Teacher's Lounge

Before: Auditorium

Before: Auditorium

After: Auditorium

After: Auditorium

Before: Main Office

Before: Main Office

After: Main Office

After: Main Office

Before: Cafeteria

Before: Cafeteria

After: Cafeteria

After: Cafeteria