JCSU secures major grants for STEM skills, sustainability

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Johnson C. Smith University has secured $1.031 million in federal funding for STEM education and career preparation as well as $1 million from UNCF for its endowment to support long-term sustainability.

The first week of Johnson C. Smith University's new academic year brought new investments.

The historically Black University received a $1.031 million federal grant for STEM education, undergraduate research and career preparation as well as $1 million from UNCF for its endowment. Community Project Funding for JCSU’s Workforce Skills Enhancement through Equipment Initiative targets STEM education, undergraduate research and career preparation through acquisition and integration of equipment for student training and research in environmental chemistry, biology, agriculture and related fields. The project includes laboratory instrumentation, microscopy and molecular analysis equipment, greenhouse enhancements, and drones equipped for geospatial, LIDAR (light detecting and ranging) sensors, water quality and environmental research.

“Johnson C. Smith University has been educating generations of leaders and creating pathways to opportunity in Charlotte and beyond,” said U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, co-founder of the Congressional HBCU Caucus and whose congressional district includes JCSU. “As a longtime educator and champion for HBCUs, I know that our students excel when we invest in our institutions and give them the resources they need to compete. This federal investment will give JCSU students greater access to the technology, research opportunities and hands-on training that will prepare them for high-demand careers and help strengthen our workforce and economy.”

JCSU President Valerie Kinloch added: “The $1.03 million investment in our JCSU students and the residents of Charlotte’s Historic West End community will provide them with the necessary access to technology, workforce development skills and hands-on learning experiences that will ensure they are prepared for high-demand careers. JCSU remains committed to helping drive economic mobility in Charlotte and across the region, and this award further enables that commitment to be fully realized.”

JCSU is also one of 12 UNCF campuses to earn $1 million from the James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation for long-term sustainability initiatives through long-range planning, research and academic and infrastructure capital.

The fund, launched as the Dimon Fund to Advance Economic Opportunity within UNCF's $1.5B capital campaign, provides endowment capital to the UNCF schools as part of their $5 million institutional match within a pooled endowment fund. The campuses were picked for their track record of preparing educators, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Several of the schools chosen have cross-institutional collaborations such as credit-transfer partnerships in health-related disciplines that speed the transition from academics to career.

“Our country’s future and strength depend on our young people. Our system of HBCUs continue to serve as the springboard to success for thousands of students in pursuit of the American Dream,” the Dimons said in a joint statement. “As the children of first-generation high school and college graduates, we were imbued with a thirst for knowledge and a drive to succeed—principles that we have passed on to our own children and that we wish to share with all the students at the selected HBCUs.”

Three other Carolinas schools earned endowment investments: Shaw University in Raleigh; Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., and Voorhees University in Denmark, S.C.

Jamie Dimon is chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase and a former UNCF director. Judy Dimon, president of the Dimon Foundation, leads a strategic grantmaking portfolio geared to improving career-connected learning for students in New York City’s Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools, six-year public high school programs that combine career training and tuition-free community college. 

“I am enormously grateful for this generous donation and the unwavering support of HBCUs by Jamie and Judy Dimon. Their gift is both a vote of confidence and a catalyst,” said Johnnetta Betsch Cole, UNCF president-in-residence and co-chair of UNCF's capital campaign. “By accelerating endowment growth, this commitment from The Dimon Foundation will strengthen the financial position of these vital institutions and expand their capacity to make long-term decisions benefitting students, faculty, and the broader communities they serve as they prepare the teachers who awaken young minds today and the healers who will mend our communities tomorrow.”

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