City Of Wilmington: Mayor Purzycki Announces Details Of Wilmington's 5th Annual HBCU Week And College Fair

Wilmington DE

17 September, 2021

6:05 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Wilmington: 09/17/2021 10:30 AM Since 2017, participating HBCUs have granted over 3,000 admission opportunities to local students and have awarded more than $18.5 million in scholarships   Mayor Mike Purzycki and Wilmington's HBCU Ambassador, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, today announced details of Wilmington's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week activities, which includes both an in-person and virtual HBCU College Fair to take place over two days. HBCU Week begins Sunday, September 26 and will continue through Saturday, October 3. The presenting sponsors of the 2021 HBCU Week are the City and Barclays. This year, 56 HBCUs and 10 corporations will participate, enabling students to engage with college recruiters and corporate partners one-on-one to discuss admission, scholarships, and internships.    HBCU Week was launched by Ashley Christopher in 2017, under the leadership of Mayor Mike Purzycki, to expose local high school students to the history, pride, and academic offerings of these colleges and universities, and to encourage young people to reach a new level of educational achievement. Since 2017, Mayor Purzycki and Mr. Smith noted that participating HBCUs have granted over 3,000 admission opportunities to local students and have awarded more than $18.5 million in scholarships.   "HBCU Week has been extremely successful because of an outpouring of support for our students who crave more educational opportunities," said Mayor Purzycki. "Each year we've expanded the program to include a concert, panel discussions, the HBCU Battle of the Bands, and – the highlight of the week – a College Fair that has grown into two-day, in-person as well as virtual event. Stephen A. Smith and Earvin "Magic" Johnson brought national prominence to HBCU Week in 2019 for which we will be forever grateful. Our 5th year will see us return to in-person events while observing the latest CDC guideline, staying mindful that we are not out of the pandemic just yet. Nevertheless, we look forward to an energetic and productive week for everyone involved."   This year's HBCU Week schedule, as presented below, features a first-ever combined in-person and virtual College Fair, a 5K Walk/Run, coverage by the ESPN First Take show with Stephen A. Smith, an HBCU Happy Hour, a comedy show hosted by Wanda Sykes and an R&B concert featuring Wale and Queen Naija, a panel discussion with DSU's Dr. Tony Allen and Jamila Mustafa, the return of the HBCU Battle of the Bands, and more.   For tickets or to register for any event, visit www.HBCUWeek.org.   HBCU Week: September 26th – October 3, 2021   Sunday, September 26th Event – HBCU Day Party Location – DECO, 10th and Orange streets Time – 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.   Monday, September 27th Event – 5K Walk/Run Location – Brandywine Park Time – 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. (Check-In starts at 5:30 p.m.)   Tuesday, September 28th Event – DSU Middle School College Tour Location – Delaware State University Time – 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.   Wednesday, September 29th Event #1 – HBCU Week Coverage on ESPN's "First Take" Location – South Street Seaport Pier 17 Studio, New York City Time – 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.   Event #2 – HBCU Happy Hour Location – DECO, 10th and Orange streets Time – 8 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. (Doors open at 7 p.m.)   Event #3 – R&B Concert featuring Wale and Queen Naija Location – The Queen, 5th and Market streets Time – 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.    Thursday, September 30th   Event – "My HBCU Experience" Panel Discussion Location – The Queen, 5th and Market streets Time – 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.   Friday, October 1st   Event #1 – Live College Fair* Location – The Chase Fieldhouse, 401 Garasches Lane Time – 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.   Event #2 – Virtual College Fair Location – Ugo Virtual platform Time – 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.   Event #3 – HBCU Lunch and Learn Series Location – The Chase Fieldhouse, 401 Garasches Lane (Mezzanine Level) Time – 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.   Event #4 – Comedy Show Hosted by Wanda Sykes Location – The Queen, 5th and Market streets Time – 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.   *Since its inception in 2017, the College Fair has resulted in more than 3,000 on-the-spot college acceptances and more than $18.5 million in scholarships awarded by HBCUs and corporate partners.   Saturday, October 2nd Event – Virtual College Fair Location – Ugo Virtual platform Time – 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.   Event – HBCU Battle of the Bands Location – Frawley Stadium, 801 Shipyard Drive Time – 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. (Gates open at 12:30 p.m.)   Sunday, October 3rd Event – HBCU Block Party Location – DECO, 10th and Orange streets Time – 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.   Full list of HBCU Week 2021 Sponsors Major Sponsors: The City of Wilmington and Barclays Participating Sponsors: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), AstraZeneca, American Chemistry Council (ACC), Bank of America, Capital One, Chemours, Delaware State University, Donate Delaware, DuPont, (Future of STEM Scholars Initiative) FOSSI, JPMorgan Chase & Co., LexisNexis, MLB, New Castle County (DE), NFL, BPG, Ketchum, Delmarva, ChristianaCare and Salesforce.  Sunday, September 26 and will continue through Saturday, October 3 *Since its inception in 2017, the College Fair has resulted in more than 3,000 on-the-spot college acceptances and more than $18.5 million in scholarships awarded by HBCUs and corporate partners.    HBCU College Fair 2019 Stephen A. Smith, Mayor Mike Purzycki, and Earvin "Magic" Johnson at the Chase Fieldhouse in 2019 COMMUNITY AND MEDIA INQUIRIES:  John Rago Deputy Chief of Staff City of Wilmington, Office of the Mayor Mobile: (302) 420-7928 Email: [email protected] This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author's own.