Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is dedicated to introducing the youth to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM).
Abdul-Jabbar was the leading basketball scorer with 38,387 points until LeBron James broke his record in 2023, per NBC News. Now he is working to ensure youth in underserved communities can have a “shot that can’t be blocked” through the Skyhook Foundation, its website mentions.
He launched the foundation in 2010 and has reached more than 15,400 youth, per the foundation’s website. Its flagship program is Camp Skyhook, a five-day experience brought to life through a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, UCLA, and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, to introduce fourth- and fifth-graders to a STEAM-based, immersive, and hands-on curriculum. The camp also emphasizes collaboration and includes activities such as hiking, swimming, skits, and campfires, notes its website. It takes place at Clear Creek Outdoor Education Center in the Angeles National Forest.
“When I was a kid and we got to go to the Museum of Natural History and it was an incredible day. And it’s my pleasure to be able to give these kids a day similar to that, because you guys are learning about science, technology, engineering, and math while you’re here,” Abdul-Jabbar told participating students at the camp back in 2023, according to a video shared on Instagram.
In November 2025, it was announced that the Skyhook Foundation was teaming up with Inside the Outdoors, Orange County Department of Education’s environmental education program, and its philanthropic arm, Inside the Outdoors Foundation, according to OCDE Newsroom. This will expand on the foundation’s mission to make STEAM more accessible to younger generations by unlocking new learning opportunities.
“Giving you a shot that can’t be blocked means that, when you learn the things that you want to learn, you’re going to have a great living, and you’re going to enjoy what you’re doing for the rest of your life. And I want to see you guys doing that, because that’s really important to me,” Abdul-Jabbar said during a celebration at Edison Elementary to acknowledge the new partnership.
During the celebration, Abdul-Jabbar also awarded students with 3,000 Adidas shoes and backpacks, and personally handed some out at the school’s Research & Innovation Center, per OCDE Newsroom.
