More than 40 HBCUs Receive Grants for Campus Improvements and Innovation Lounges at Annual Award Celebration

ATLANTA, April 12, 2024 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Home Depot awarded 42 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with nearly $3 million in grants for campus enhancements at the annual Retool Your School Awards Celebration. Albany State University, South Carolina State University and Paine College placed first in their respective clusters, each winning a $150,000 grant. Since its inception in 2009, The Home Depot Retool Your School Program has invested more than $12 million in financial support, providing HBCUs with needs-based grants for campus renovations.

“The Home Depot has a proud legacy of supporting and uplifting Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We’ve reached more than 82 universities over the last 15 years with many multi-year relationships with the same schools,” said Molly Battin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of The Home Depot. “Our Retool Your School grants play a crucial role in ensuring that prestigious universities can continue supporting students and their communities through critical campus improvements and innovation lounges that foster creativity and collaboration. These grants go beyond just improving physical spaces: they foster positive outcomes for students and communities across the U.S.”

The Retool Your School Awards Celebration was held on Thursday, April 11, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Hosted by actor, author and HBCU alumnae Rashan Ali, with remarks from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, The Home Depot chair, president and CEO Ted Decker and CMO Molly Battin, the event highlighted the 15-year legacy of the Retool Your School program and awarded Legacy Honorees who supported the program in an exemplary way.

Sixty-seven schools applied for grants, with participating HBCUs separated into three clusters based on student population. More than 7 million votes were cast online by students, staff and supporters – ultimately deciding the top 10 schools per cluster to receive grants ranging from $40,000 to $150,000 for campus improvements. Additionally, 12 schools were awarded Innovation Lounge funding to enhance existing spaces on campuses where students can gather, ideate and collaborate.

Congratulations to all the winning institutions of the 2024 Retool Your School program.

Campus Improvement Grant Cluster 1

1. Albany State University (1^st Place – $150K Award)
2. Alabama A&M University (2^nd Place – $100K Award)
3. Jackson State University (3^rd Place – $80K Award)
4. Grambling State University (4^th Place – $60K Award)
5. Southern University and A&M College (5^th Place – $50K Award)
6. Prairie View A&M University (6^th Place – $50K Award)
7. Bowie State University (7^th Place – $40K Award)
8. Winston-Salem State University (8^th Place – $40K Award)
9. North Carolina Central University (9^th Place – $40K Award)
10. Howard University (10^th Place – $40K Award)

Campus Improvement Grant Cluster 2

1. South Carolina State University (1^st Place – $150K Award)
2. Benedict College (2^nd Place – $100K Award)
3. Alcorn State University (3^rd Place – $80K Award)
4. Tuskegee University (4^th Place – $60K Award)
5. Savannah State University (5^th Place – $60K Award)
6. Mississippi Valley State University (6^th Place – $50K Award)
7. Alabama State University (7^th Place – $50K Award)
8. Coahoma Community College (8^th Place – $40K Award)
9. Fort Valley State University (9^th Place – $40K Award)
10. Kentucky State University (10^th Place – $40K Award)

Campus Improvement Grant Cluster 3

1. Paine College (1^st Place – $150K Award)
2. Morris Brown College (2^nd Place – $100K Award)
3. Texas College (3^rd Place – $80K Award)
4. Fisk University 4^th Place – $60K Award)
5. Saint Augustine’s University (5^th Place – $60K Award)
6. Johnson C. Smith University (6^th Place – $50K Award)
7. Southwestern Christian College (7^th Place – $50K Award)
8. Stillman College (8^th Place – $40K Award)
9. Philander Smith College (9^th Place – $40K Award)
10. Lane College (10^th Place – $40K Award)

Innovation Lounge Grant

• Jarvis Christian College
• Lincoln University of Pennsylvania
• Livingstone College
• Jackson State University
• North Carolina A&T State University
• Simmons College of Kentucky
• University of District of Columbia
• Virginia State University
• Wiley College
• Xavier University
• Coppin State University
• University of Maryland Eastern Shore

About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer. At the end of fiscal year 2023, the company operated a total of 2,335 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The company employs approximately 465,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

About Retool Your School
The Home Depot’s Retool Your School grant program strives to give back to our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) what they have so generously given to their communities: a strong foundation, renewed purpose and distinctive character through campus uplift and beautification funding. Established in 2009, Retool Your School has invested more than $12 million to support over 270 grants provided to more than 72 percent of the nation’s HBCUs. To learn more about Retool Your School, visit RetoolYourSchool.com and follow us on Twitter @HomeDepotRetool, Instagram @RetoolYourSchool and Facebook @RetoolYourSchool.

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SOURCE The Home Depot