Google And UNCF To Invest Additional $2M In HBCU Students In Tech Fields

Google has announced an additional $2 million investment in  Morehouse College and Hampton University as part of an ongoing collaboration with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).

According to UNCF, Google has invested over $50 million over a number of years to elevate talent and innovation at Historically Black Universities (HBCUs).

Supporting students to pursue tech careers

Morehouse College and Hampton University will receive $1 million each to invest in technical infrastructure aimed to support in-class and remote learning.

The universities will also develop curriculum and career support programs for students pursuing career opportunities in the tech industry.

“Google’s investment is building on the work that is already underway on the campuses of Morehouse and Hampton to incorporate innovative uses of technology to educate students and support faculty,” said UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax.

“Google is setting the standard, and we’re calling on the entire tech industry and others in corporate America to follow Google’s lead.”

Tech upgrades and a new student center

Google’s $1 million investment in Hampton University will enable the university to expand pathways and opportunities by facilitating needed infrastructure and classroom technology upgrades.

Morehouse will use its $1 million to support the new Morehouse College Student Center construction.

The student center will include a computer lab, study rooms, and collaborative learning spaces for students to use as a hub for developing entrepreneurial interests and sharing ideas.

Google is also funding the tech upgrade of an existing classroom at Morehouse, which will be transformed into a Google Annex with new computers and furniture.

“This provides an opportunity for our faculty to expand its work in preparing students to thrive in the tech ecosystem as entrepreneurs and change agents who will bring much-needed diversity to the field,” said David A Thomas, PhD., president of Morehouse College.

Google, in 2021, also announced a $50 million grant to 10 HCBUs and, this year, partnered with Howard University to build a high-quality African-American English (AAE) speech dataset.