WASHINGTON—Apple Inc. is teaming with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) to find, develop and harness technology talent from the nation’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The over $40 million multi-year commitment from Apple is the largest and most comprehensive corporate investment ever given exclusively for students and faculty of four-year HBCUs.

The multi-year commitment Includes funding to build a talent database, internships for high achieving students, exposure to Apple’s campus and work environment, and funding of faculty innovation grants focused on developing successful ways to accelerate HBCU students into STEM environments.

Through TMCF’s entrepreneurial division, select students who have desires to build businesses using technology will have an opportunity to attend Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference and discover new pathways to successful entrepreneurship through developing new ideas and new apps.

“I love my iPhone and couldn’t wait to get my first app up on the App Store. Graduating from college and going to work for Apple – the best company in the world – would be a dream come true,” said Tony Burrus, a senior at North Carolina A&T State University. “The commitment Apple is making to recruit students like me from HBCUs means the future for my graduating class just got even brighter and that’s what diversity should be about.”

“Our partnership with Apple is going to be a real game changer for HBCU students and faculty. Working with the most innovative company on the planet, we’re going to expose more African American students to the possibilities of a career in technology and inspire them to become future tech innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., TMCF president, in a statement.

Denise Young Smith, Apple’s vice president of worldwide human resources, said, “Education is in Apple’s DNA and by partnering with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund we have a unique opportunity to help inspire the next generation of diverse talent to love technology as much as we do.”

She added, . “When we first spent time with TMCF we were impressed with their vision and focus. Knowledge is the great equalizer and we want to invest in the best and brightest students in our HBCU schools to encourage them to pursue a career in technology or join the hundreds of thousands of app developers changing the way we all use our devices.”

http://www.thurgoodmarshallcollegefund.net