Alabama State University’s Office of Student Life hosted a mixer in the John Garrick Hardy Center Amphitheater March 7, 2023, to encourage students to come out and vote for Alabama State University to win a grant from the Home Depot Retool Your School program.
The Home Depot’s Retool Your School program is back for its 14th year to encourage and recognize innovative projects that contribute to the campuses of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Over the years, the program has awarded grants to HBCUs for campus renovations, repairs and enhancements and has given more than $5.2 million across 70% of HBCUs nationwide.
This year the program renewed its commitment to being “Powered by Purpose” by developing several exciting new initiatives, quadrupling the available grant pool and merging HBCU-focused efforts across teams under one umbrella.
“We saw an opportunity for us to bring it all together and make it more of an impactful, company-wide collective initiative to support HBCUs,” said Tiffany Mitsui, senior manager of Multicultural Marketing at The Home Depot.
After a slow start, the music eventually began to attract a crowd of students. The air was warm and the mood was communal. While students voted, others gathered on the grass and performed line dances.
“Our school needs new furniture,” said sophomore Zyqueria Brockton. Brockton always hopes the new money will go towards the residence halls. “We need to get rid of the mold baldly, especially over at Bessie Benson Hall.”
Fellow sophomore Jeremiah Johnson hopes that the money will go to benefiting students but would also like to see it go towards the residence halls.
“We have issues with bugs like flies and the roof caving in,” Johnson said.
Ryan Jones, a junior, is satisfied with the decision to create a new gaming room with the $95,000 granted in 2021.
“The last one was not up to par,” he said. “Students need a place to release positive energy.”
Ultimately, the event was a success with dozens of students coming to vote, fraternize and vibe to the music blasting from the speakers.
The event was overseen by Coordinator of Student Life Kamela Kennedy, Ed.D. The goal, according to Kennedy, was to get students buzzing about the event, and for students to get out and interact.
“We’re trying to get everyone to get out and have fun,” Kennedy said. “The students will go in and vote for Alabama State University so we can get our numbers up and possibly win again.”
“Sometimes students get so busy that things get caught in a shuffle,” she continued. “So now they’ll be able to know through this event that we need their vote. And not just them, but their families if they’re not partial to their alma mater that might be on that list.”
This year’s program will present an opportunity for HBCUs to apply for three different grants: Campus Improvement Grant, Innovation Lounge Grant and Community Project Grant.
This year students will be able to directly benefit from Retool Your School initiatives even if their HBCU does not apply for the Campus Improvement Grant Program.
The Home Depot is partnering with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to award $2,500 scholarships to 60 students currently enrolled at any HBCU. In addition, they are offering 300 virtual externships to HBCU sophomores, juniors and seniors that will give them the opportunity to build their professional networks and learn about business in a collaborative environment.
The program will also allow HBCUs to apply for two new needs-based grants, the Innovation Lounge Grant and Community Project Grant.
The campaign supports HBCUs by giving them grants to renovate their campuses. The university has won two of these grants so far. In 2020, the university won $30,000, and in 2021, the university won a massive $95,000. The $30,000 donation went to renovating the alumni houses, while the $95,000 donation is being put towards creating a new game room in the student union.