HBCU Week 2023 on a Mission to Change Students' Lives with Scholarships and On-the-Spot College Acceptances

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Sep 14, 2023, 07:00 ET

Seventh annual event to be held in Wilmington and Atlanta and encourages high-school youth to enroll in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

WILMINGTON, Del., Sept. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The HBCU Week Foundation, Inc. is hosting its seventh annual HBCU Week with activities scheduled in Wilmington, Del., from September 17-24 and Atlanta, Ga., from October 5-7. HBCU Week will include a variety of events and opportunities for students to engage in the HBCU experience, understand the admissions process, potentially receive on-the-spot college acceptance and scholarships, discuss social issues impacting students of color, and connect with current HBCU students and leadership. To date, the HBCU Week Foundation has awarded more than 6,000 on-the-spot college acceptances and more than $60 million in scholarships directly from HBCUs and corporate partners.

"We are always thrilled to present HBCU Week to students to give them a snapshot of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) experience while helping them carve out a path for attending college through scholarships from our partners," said Ashley Christopher, Founder and CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation. "HBCU Week is the week that changes lives because this type of exposure for high school seniors and middle schoolers gives them a sense of belonging they might not otherwise experience. HBCU Week events are curated to help students imagine the joy and limitless possibilities of attending an HBCU."

This year's HBCU Week in Atlanta will focus primarily on the HBCU College Fair presented by Sallie Mae. The College Fair gives students the opportunity to meet one-on-one with admissions officers and corporate partners, apply for internships and potentially get on-the-spot acceptance and scholarships.

"HBCUs support and advance diversity in higher education and continue to help level the playing field for students from traditionally underserved communities," said Nicolas Jafarieh, Executive Vice President, Sallie Mae. "We're pleased to again partner with HBCU Week to highlight the critical role of HBCUs and connect students to free tools and resources that make college more accessible and affordable."

2023 HBCU Week Major Sponsor, General Motors (GM) is honored to extend their support of HBCUs. "As we strive to be the most inclusive company in the world, we understand representation matters," said Charles Chapman, GM Multicultural Marketing Manager. "With our ongoing HBCU Marketing and Journalism fellowship, Chevrolet Discover the Unexpected, this sponsorship is a natural extension for us to lean into an organization that supports individuals and communities of color through their deeds."

HBCU Week in Wilmington will include week-long opportunities for high school and middle school students to connect during a prayer brunch, a 5K run presented by Delaware State University, a middle school college tour, an R&B concert, an HBCU Experience panel discussion presented by Capital One, a conversation on social justice, a comedy show and a block party along with the week's two seminal events: HBCU Battle of the Bands and the HBCU College Fair.

HBCU Week has become a crown jewel for the City of Wilmington, home of Delaware State University. Under the leadership of Mayor Mike Purzycki, the city has been an HBCU Week partner since its inception in 2017.

"City of Wilmington students crave more educational opportunities and thanks to HBCU Week, the possibilities for them to advance their education and their careers in our own backyard are endless," said Mike Purzycki, Mayor of Wilmington. "Each year the week has expanded and that's not only a testament to the hard work of the HBCU Week Foundation but to those who understand the importance of financial support to move economic barriers many students face when getting their education."

Mayor Purzycki is the grantor of the Michael S. Purzycki Changemaker Scholarship that will be made available during HBCU Week in Wilmington. Additional scholarship opportunities offered during HBCU Week include the Barclays Scholarship, Capital One Scholarship, Dream, Believe & Achieve Scholarship, Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) Scholarship, AstraZeneca Scholarship, LexisNexis Risk Solutions Group Scholarship and NFL Scholarship.

"It's important to AstraZeneca that our workforce represents the rich diversity of the patients and communities in which we operate," said Tanya Harris, CVRM, Therapeutic Area Vice President, AstraZeneca. "Partnering with HBCU Week and providing a scholarship gives us the opportunity to share our commitment to creating a corporate environment where HBCU students can have a voice, thrive in their careers, and serve as change agents within their communities.

Additional sponsors for the 2023 HBCU Week include signature sponsor Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (Signature Sponsor); and participating sponsors AdvanSix, AmeriHealth Caritas (DE), Bank of America, Barclays, BASF, Capital One, City Treasurer of Wilmington (DE), The Chemours Company, DuPont, Wells Fargo and WSFS Bank.

To learn more about HBCU Week and to register for the events, visit hbcuweek.org.

About the HBCU Week Foundation
The mission of the HBCU Week Foundation is to encourage high-school aged youth to enroll into HBCUs, provide scholarship dollars for matriculation and sustain a pipeline for employment from undergraduate school to corporate America. The most impactful event during HBCU Week is the HBCU College Fair. HBCU Week Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

SOURCE HBCU Week Foundation