North Carolina A&T State University has joined forces with Walmart to launch the Equity In Education Initiative. Kickstarted with a $5 million investment, the initiative will help Black students secure jobs in STEM related fields. The program will be segmented into the following four groups: "Advancing Blacks in Engineering," "Scholarship Support," "The Black Male Initiative" and "The Leadership Cohort Initiative." Each segment will focus on academic success, leadership development and graduating on time.
“The Equity in Education Initiative is not only an important step in advancing Walmart’s focus on eliminating barriers to opportunity, it also lays foundational building blocks with a diverse pool of talent who we hope will one day consider joining the Walmart team,” Walmart executive Donna Morris said.
“We’re focused on building a Walmart for everyone, and we know these programs will benefit students while also helping to further that vision.”
The Equity In Education Initiative is part of a larger commitment Walmart has made toward marginalized communities. Walmart has dedicated $100 million toward combating racial inequality across the map.
“As a leading STEM university with longstanding strengths in business education, we are always interested in growing the size and academic strength of our student body and the number of outstanding graduates we send into the world,” North Carolina A&T Chancellor Harold L. Martin said.
“We are profoundly grateful for the support of Walmart and the partnership of our colleagues at The ELC and MLT. Their collective involvement in the Equity in Education Initiative will ensure this initiative pays dividends for many years to come.”
The Equity In Education Initiative will run for approximately five years. It is set to kick off in early 2021.
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