11 Jan
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Recognizes NSBE
ALEXANDRIA, VA (December 14, 2021) The National Society of Black Engineers®(NSBE®) has been awarded a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) Racial Equity Grant as part of CZI’s five-year, $500 Million commitment to support organizations building just and sustainable systems that advance racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. Recipients of this year’s overall $40 million in grants such as NSBE are led by, or work in support of, communities of color and focus on equipping leaders, tackling racial disparities, shaping policies, and advancing institutional change.
Through K-12 and pre-collegiate programs including Math Counts and the Future City Competition, to its hundreds of college chapters that further professional and leadership development, engineering diversity and community improvement, NSBE plays a fundamental role in helping Black students choose and develop engineering careers that create economic opportunity and advancement.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled that we are receiving this generous, game-changing grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative,” said NSBE CEO Janeen Uzzell. “This grant will help fund the advancement opportunities consistent with our mission to increase the number of Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.”
Building on the key investments CZI has made since its founding five years ago, CZI has embarked on an enterprise-wide effort to more consistently and systematically apply a racial equity lens to its work. CZI announced its multi-year, $500 million investment in December 2020. CZI’s five-year commitment includes directing $100 million to support partners who have been and will continue creating conditions for organizations, communities, and individuals at the front lines of the fight for equity to thrive.
“Embedding a racial equity lens across CZI’s philanthropic areas of focus will help us drive the impact and results that we are all working to achieve,” said CZI’s Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Belinda Stubblefield. “As part of this critical work, we are engaging changemakers, community members, and movement builders with deep expertise and lived experience as partners, helping to shape our strategies and actions. We are dedicated to this work for the long term.”
About NSBE®
With more than 600 chapters and more than 24,000 active members in the U.S. and abroad, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. NSBE, founded in 1975, supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology. NSBE’s mission is “to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.” For more information, visit www.nsbe.org.