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.
Historically Black Wilberforce University in Ohio received a $1.2 million gift from an anonymous donor. The funds will help meet the university’s need for flexible and unrestricted income to support student aid, facility enhancements, faculty and staff development, and academic programs.
Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois received a $1.5 million grant from the Illinois Community College Board to support programs to enable low-income and minority residents from surrounding areas to receive training at the college that leads to employment in four of the region’s most in-demand job fields. Students in the program will receive stipends that cover the cost of tuition, fees, and materials for short programs of study that earn certifications in computer numerical control operation, cold forming, truck driving, and industrial welding.
The Timbuktu Academy at historically Black Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, recently received a grant from the Louisiana Space Consortium (LaSPACE) to provide scholarships for students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The funding will allow STEM students to participate in NASA-related educational and research activities.
Virginia Union University, a historically Black educational institution in Richmond, has received a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service for the preservation of a building on campus. The grant will help pay for the renovation of the Belgian Building, including a new HVAC system in the Barco-Stevens Gymnasium. The building was part of the Belgian Exhibition at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and was relocated to Richmond.
