The winners are in!
According to PR Newswire, in this 12th installation of its Retool Your School program, The Home Depot doubled its commitment to $1 million. This year, 30 campus improvement projects will be funded at various Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
This is the most projects to be completed in one year through the program.
Tougaloo College is one of the top performers this season and even won the Campaign of the Year award ultimately walking away with $120,000 from Retool Your School.
“Since 2009, The Home Depot has continued to increase its investment in campus improvements for HBCUs,” said The Home Depot’s Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Derek Bottoms in an official news release. “We are ensuring HBCU students have an upgraded environment that enhances their educational experience as they progress on their journey to become the next generation of leaders.”
To commence the voting season, a virtual Retool Your School Winners Ceremony was held on Wednesday, April 14. The event was hosted by Howard University alumnus, Laz Alonso with a keynote address delivered by Hampton University alumna and Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter.
From February to March 15, HBCU advocates, alumni, and students were encouraged to cast votes for the participating HBCU of their choice.
All participating HBCUs were then broken down into three clusters based on its student population. The top ten schools who received the most votes per cluster will soon receive grants that range from $20,000 to $75,000 to go toward revamping facilities at their institutions.
Along with the winners, a Campaign of the Year award in the amount of $45,000 was presented to the school with the campaign that proved to be the most effective for bringing together its community to drive votes for the program.
Click here to see the full list of this year’s winners for the 2021 Retool Your School program.
