The Propel Center announces new $1M scholarship program at HBCUs

Global HBCU technology and learning hub

HBCU students pursuing careers in entrepreneurship, agri-tech, social justice, arts and entertainment, energy and health encouraged to apply

ATLANTA—The Propel Center, the global HBCU technology and learning hub working to level the playing field for HBCU students, today announced the launch of its Propel Student Impact Scholarships with support from Apple and Southern Company.

The new scholarship program, targeting HBCU students who are pursuing careers in entrepreneurship, arts and entertainment, agri-tech, social justice and health, is open to rising sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students alike.

Propel Center will donate a total of 100 $10,000 scholarships o the winners, an investment that the Center believes will help to transform the nation’s talent pipeline and workforce. The Student Impact Scholarship winners will also have the unique opportunity to participate in work-based learning opportunities with Propel Center’s corporate partners.

“We at Propel are committed to not only building the ultimate Black talent pipeline, but also to supporting and sustaining the ever-changing global and diverse workforce experience,” said Charles J. Gibbs, president of the Propel Center HBCU Consortium. “I am honored and humbled that through this first-of-its-kind scholarship program, and true to our mission, we’re also able to open broader career pathways for our so richly deserving HBCU students,” he continues.

“At Apple, we believe education is a powerful force for equity, and we’re thrilled to help create new opportunities for HBCU students to blaze trails in their academic and professional pursuits,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “All students should have access to pursue their life’s dreams, and this scholarship program will provide a strong foundation for the next generation as they lead us into a bold, innovative future.”

“We are proud to help open greater doors of opportunity for HBCU students,” said Chris Womack, chairman and CEO of Georgia Power. “We must equip students with the support and resources they need today so they can be the change agents we need tomorrow.”

To apply for the 2022 Propel Student Impact Scholarships, students must complete an online application and may also submit a self-created video or infographic describing how their interest in entrepreneurship, the arts and entertainment, agri-tech, social justice or health aligns with the Propel Center’s mission.

Applicants are encouraged to share their video or infographic submission on a social media platform and tag Propel Center. All video submissions should also be shared via Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, while infographics should be shared on the applicant’s Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter channels.

Upon posting their video or infographic, each student-applicant must also upload a copy of their posting with their application. To apply or find out more, interested students may visit the Propel Center website, at: www.propelcenter.org. The application period is open now, and all submissions are due by March 14, 2022.

The scholarship winners will be announced on March 23, 2022. 

About Ed Farm
Ed Farm was launched in February 2020 in Birmingham, Alabama to create programs designed to engage students, educators and adult learners in innovative digital skills experiences that better prepare them for the 21st-century workforce. Moving forward, Ed Farm is expanding its programming and its footprint across the country, building on the existing programming and work taking place in Birmingham.

About Propel Center
Supported by founding partners Apple and Southern Company, the Propel Center is a first-of-its-kind innovation and learning hub for the entire HBCU community that will serve as a catalytic epicenter of learning, providing students with the knowledge, skills, tools and resources necessary to transform the nation’s talent pipeline and workforce.

Through a robust virtual platform, on-campus activities at partner institutions and a physical campus located in the Atlanta University Center, Propel will bring innovative curricula and unprecedented leadership opportunities to produce the next generation of Black leaders.