Originally published on Built From Scratch
ATLANTA, April 12, 2023 /3BL Media/ – In the 14th year of its Retool Your School program, The Home Depot awarded 36 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with more than $2 million in grants to improve their college campuses. Alabama A&M University, Coahoma Community College and Fisk University placed first in their respective competition clusters, each winning a $150,000 grant. The 2023 Retool Your School program was expanded to include an additional $2 million in needs-based grants such as Innovation Lounge renovations, internship and externship programs, scholarships and more.
The Retool Your School Awards Celebration was held on Tuesday, April 11 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to celebrate the participating schools and the 2023 program year. The event was hosted by actor, author, and HBCU alumnae, Rashan Ali. Andre Dickens, mayor of Atlanta, and Molly Battin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of The Home Depot, delivered remarks to attendees about the importance of championing our nation’s HBCUs.
“The Home Depot’s commitment to HBCUs goes deeper than just financial support,” said Molly Battin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “We recognize that HBCUs are fundamental to academic success and professional development in both the communities they serve and our nation as a whole. We’re committed to preserving that incredible history and seeing that it continues to grow.”
HBCUs participating in the Campus Improvement Grant program were separated into three clusters based on student population. The top ten schools with the most votes per cluster received grants ranging from $40,000 to $150,000. As part of the new needs-based grant program, 10 schools were also awarded with Innovation Lounge funding to enhance existing spaces on campuses where students can congregate, ideate and collaborate.
Congratulations to all the winning institutions of the 2023 Retool Your School program.
Campus Improvement Grant Cluster 1
Alabama A&M UniversityJackson State UniversityAlbany State UniversityHoward UniversityHampton UniversityGrambling State UniversityAlabama State UniversitySouthern University and A&M CollegeWinston-Salem State UniversityNorfolk State University
Campus Improvement Grant Cluster 2
Coahoma Community CollegeSouth Carolina State UniversityTuskegee UniversityBethune-Cookman UniversityKentucky State UniversityBenedict CollegeSavannah State UniversityUniversity of Arkansas at Pine BluffUniversity of Maryland Eastern ShoreMississippi Valley State University
Campus Improvement Grant Cluster 3
Fisk UniversityTougaloo CollegeJohnson C. Smith UniversityLane CollegeTexas CollegeSouthwestern Christian CollegeWilberforce UniversityMorris Brown CollegeRust CollegeSaint Augustine’s University
Innovation Lounge Grant
Bethune-Cookman UniversityFlorida A&M UniversityInterdenominational Theological CenterLincoln University of MissouriMeharry Medical CollegeMorehouse CollegeMorris Brown CollegeSouthern University and A&M CollegeSouthwestern Christian CollegeVoorhees College
Since 2009, through Retool Your School, The Home Depot has invested more than $9.25 million dollars to update, upgrade and uplift HBCU campuses. In 2023, the company quadrupled its Retool Your School commitment to $4 million as part of its continued dedication to celebrating the legacy and pride of HBCUs. To learn more, visit RetoolYourSchool.com.
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