Adobe is one of the latest companies to give back to Historically Black colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
On Sept.14, during its annual Adobe for All week, Adobe announced its partnerships with Bowie State University, Winston-Salem State University, along with a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) — San José State University, Fortune reports.
The three universities will each receive a $1 million donation under Adobe’s new Anchor School Program to “provide students with training, career readiness programs, internships, financial assistance, and digital tools.”
“It’s a deep, focused partnership, and it really allows us to expose students to careers within the tech industry,” Brian Miller, Adobe’s chief talent, diversity, and inclusion officer, told Fortune.
As previously reported by AfroTech, #AdobeForAll has developed an inclusive culture within the company by “creating a network of employee groups to serve its diverse workforce.”
Their donation announcement also shared that Adobe will provide 100 scholarships per year — of up to $15,000 each — to students of color.
According to Fortune, the decision-making of selecting the three schools related to wanting to cater to creative- or tech-focused schools and HBCUs that haven’t received much funding after the 2020 wave of donations — following the passing of George Floyd.
The idea for the partnership sparked after Adobe leadership launched their Taking Action Initiative (TAI) which “aimed at creating better representation and improved development and growth opportunities for the company’s Black employees.”
“There’s an inseparable link—I’d even say an intimate connection—between how we develop and how we grow talent coupled with our diversity and inclusion efforts,” Miller said.
And, Adobe’ diversity and inclusion efforts aren’t ending with the three HBCUs. Fortune reports that there will be more Anchor Schools in the future.
“These are critical times within Adobe, as well as the world, navigating this relentless change that’s happening out there,” Miller said. “I want Adobe to be the best place to learn and grow for all employees.”
