Florida A&M, Virginia State, and 10 other historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are now designated Centers for Coding and Creativity as part of Apple’s Community Education Initiative and Tennessee State University’s HBCU C2.

According to Tennessee State University (TSU), HBCU C2 = {Coding & Creativity} aims to address community challenges using app design and Apple’s Swift programming language. The HBCUs join nearly 36 universities already serving as HBCU C2 community coding centers or regional hubs.

“In expanding the partnership to include the twelve new HBCUs we are on track in reaching our goal to empower all 106 HBCUs with the digital competencies and technology skill sets to meet the job demands for our global digital workforce careers,” said Dr. Robbie Melton, associate vice president of the TSU SMART Innovation Global Center.

As part of its Community Education Initiative, Apple is supporting the institutions with equipment and ongoing professional development to become the pre-eminent HBCU C2 community center to bring coding and creativity to their communities.

Faculty and educators at Alabama State University, Elizabeth City State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, and others will work with Apple to identify opportunities to incorporate its Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create curricula, which utilizes the easy-to-learn Swift programming language. Support from Apple also includes mobile labs, opportunities for student jobs and scholarships, and funding for staff.

In related news, information technology company HP Inc. and other sponsors have announced their first-ever technology conference for HBCUs.

According to the organizers, HBCU students will have the opportunity to learn how the future of work is evolving with the acceleration of digital transformation, hear from and interact with HP and Mircosoft throughout the conference, interact with students, earn credentials, learn first-hand about internship possibilities, and tackle real-world problems for the institution that help prepare them for post-graduate career goals.

There will also be information technology (IT) peer presentations, and an opportunity to hear industry leaders share their transformation stories, as well as leading voices in the HBCU community on best practices.

Education experts will share how technology transforms learning and help prepare students with future-ready skills, workshop solutions for teaching and learning challenges that can be addressed through digital learning solutions, connections that support digital transformation efforts, and new strategies to implement at HBCUs.

Save the dates:
September 14,16
September 22, 28
September 30

HBCU Technology Conference 2021 will host virtual conference sessions on September 14, 16, 22, 28, and 30. Click here for more information.