St. Petersburg College and Verizon are excited to announce a new partnership aimed at ending generational cycles of poverty by training students for stable, high-wage careers.
“I can’t tell you how grateful we are for this partnership with our friends at Verizon,” said SPC President Tonjua Williams. “It is truly about changing lives and communities for the better.”
Verizon invested a $100,000 grant to SPC to fund the college’s initiative to close the achievement gap for African-American males.
“They are helping to provide guiding support that directly assists our students who are experiencing the widest achievement gap: our African American Male students,” Williams said.
Michelle Robinson, Vice President of Government Affairs at Verizon, came from Atlanta to present the check. She said it was good to see the critical areas that the African American Male Initiative is dedicated to, like mentoring, academic success, professional development for teachers, and leveraging technology.
“We want them ready for those careers of the future in today’s digital society, whatever the industry is,” Robinson said. “We want them confident and competent to go out there and achieve success in the classroom and then after they leave.”
At Tuesday’s press conference, Williams expressed her gratitude for the grant.
“I am humbled and thankful for your support, Verizon,” Williams said. “You are helping us change the lives of our students at SPC and helping us to be more responsive to the students and communities we serve.”
To learn more about the partnership, visit here.
