Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were originally created to give opportunities and education to African American students that they otherwise wouldn’t have received. They’ve taught and nurtured some of history’s most visible and vocal figures, from Ida B. Wells and Martin Luther King Jr. to Michael Strahan and Oprah Winfrey.
In 2009, The Home Depot launched the Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant Program. Since then, $2.6 million has been awarded through more than 100 grants to HBCUs to fund projects like the creation of outdoor eco-classrooms, renovation of health facilities, the revamping of residence halls and game rooms have improved HBCU campuses across the nation. To see examples of Retool Your School efforts, click here.
This year, the Retool Your School Program is deepening its commitment by investing $500,000 in 10 HBCUs, including the “Campaign of the Year Award” school selected for most innovative, effective and creative retool proposal. After votes are tallied on April 5, winners will be announced on April 17 and the top 10 schools with the most votes will each receive $50,000 to improve their campuses.
Unlimited voting begins Feb. 17 on retoolyourschool.com or by posting a school’s designated HBCU hashtag (found here) on Twitter or Instagram. Students, faculty, alumni and the surrounding communities are encouraged to vote and show support for their HBCUs.
