Apple announced today that it is expanding its partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to add 10 more regional coding centers that will act as tech hubs for campuses and their communities.
Apple Community Education Initiative
The effort is part of Apple’s Community Education Initiative which is designed to offer coding, creativity, and workforce development opportunities. Launched in 2019, the initiative has 24 locations in the U.S., 12 of which are HBCUs and 21 serve a majority of Black and Brown students.
Ten HBCUs, which have been working alongside Apple and Tennessee State University for the past year, will now become hubs to promote coding in their broader communities: Arkansas Baptist College, Central State University, Claflin University, Dillard University, Fisk University, Lawson State Community College, Morehouse College, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University at Shreveport, and Tougaloo College. Apple expects to double the number of HBCU partners by the end of this summer, expanding the network of schools offering coding, creativity, and career pathway opportunities.
Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives: “We see this expansion of our Community Education Initiative and partnership with HBCUs as another step toward helping Black students realize their dreams and solve the problems of tomorrow.”