Renowned HBCU, Clark Atlanta University has announced a new partnership with the Propel Center — a new global campus for innovation headquartered in Atlanta — to provide leadership and career development opportunities to both students and faculty nationwide.
As a first-of-its-kind initiative aiming to serve over 100 HBCUs, the Propel Center is designed to connect students and faculty across communities, a press release reports, with necessary knowledge, skills, tools and resources to help transform America’s talent pipeline and gap in the workforce.
Additionally, the Propel Center’s mission includes bridging the gap between HBCU students to couple them with tech curriculum, cultural thought leaders, entrepreneurship skills development, and accelerator programs, while focusing on social justice and equity.
“Propel represents the most inclusive, game changing and collaborative partnership that I have witnessed within my 17 years as both college and university president,” said CAU President and Chair of the Atlanta University Center Consortium Council of Presidents, George T. French Jr., in a statement. “Propel will provide HBCU student-scholars across the country access to cutting-edge technology, resources, and programming to be globally competitive across multidisciplinary disciplines and career trajectories.”
According to a press release, curriculum options at the innovation center will include AI and machine learning, agricultural technologies, social justice, entertainment arts, app development, augmented reality, design and creativity, career preparation, and entrepreneurship tracks.
Students from participating schools will also have access to the Propel Center’s online digital learning platform from any location, as well as the 50,000 square-foot headquarters in Atlanta — which is equipped with state-of-the-art lecture halls, learning labs, and on-site living for a scholars-in-residence program.
The Propel Center was initially created by Ed Farm — a nonprofit dedicated to advancing education through technology — along with Apple and Southern Company who supported the project as founding partners.
All founding partners are thoroughly invested in bringing this idea to life with its ground-breaking objectives for HBCUs and their future thought leaders.
“The HBCU community is a tremendous engine of Black creativity, entrepreneurship, and inclusive opportunity,” said Lisa Jackson — Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives — in a statement. “We are thrilled to join with partners and community stakeholders to support the Propel Center and be part of this groundbreaking new global hub for HBCU innovation and learning, devoted to helping faculty create best-in-class curriculum and ensuring students have access to cutting-edge skills.”
Anthony Oni — chairman of Ed Farm — echoed these sentiments stating:
“These investments are critical as we begin to truly scale Black innovation ecosystems. By leveraging technology and partnerships to connect students with unique learning opportunities, we can lift up the talent that already exists at these institutions of higher learning and accelerate their development. In doing so, we will have a hand in shaping the workforce of the future — and the leaders of tomorrow.”
For more information about the Propel Center, visit its website.
