Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
MIT Press has established the Fund for Diverse Voices. Established by an anonymous donor, MIT Press aims to facilitate the publication or works by women and underrepresented groups in STEM fields. The Press will use the money to offer competitive advances to talented authors and cover the cost of high-quality production features (e.g. color images, or commissioned art) that may not be financially feasible otherwise.
St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, has received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging to implement the Katies for Aging Research and Equity (KARE) program. KARE is an innovative and integrated research program that aims to prepare the next generation of underrepresented minority women to be leaders in aging research by combining student support, education, and mentored research opportunities for students working with scientists and clinicians at the university, as well as at Mayo Clinic and the HealthPartners Neuroscience Center.
Spelman College, a historically Black college for women in Atlanta, Georgia, will receive more than $205,000 as part of a new scholarship initiative with Booking.com, one the world’s largest digital travel e-commerce companies. The scholarship program aims to provide women students with the funding needed to advance their STEM education.
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund has received a grant of more than $500,000 from the Kresge Foundation to develop a pilot program aimed at facilitating college completion for students from HBCUs. The grant will focus on HBCU students that have had “stopped out” of college with two semesters or less remaining. The term “stopped out” refers to college students who had to withdraw from school for personal or financial reasons, but plan to re-enroll and complete their degree.
The Clark Atlanta University Art Museum has received a gift of six new works from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation. The foundation is the premiere collection of artworks by artists from the African American South. Clark Atlanta is only the second HBCU to receive a gift of works from the foundation. The newly acquired pieces will be on display in the exhibition “Crating a Life” during the 2019-2020 academic year.
The School of Social Work at historically Black Jackson State University has received a $150,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services to create public awareness regarding child abuse prevention and to strengthen families in Hinds County, Mississippi. The project features three signature components: The Parent Academy, which are informational forums led by parents to enhance parental relationships; The Parent Aids, who are students and volunteers who assist parents with life challenges and parenting skills; and the Family Resource Center, which houses literature, books, games, and other materials aimed at strengthening families.
