Mississippi Valley State University recently participated in the Home Depot “Retool Your School” grant program which provides improvements to Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the nation.  MVSU was among sixty – two finalists and the only university in the state of Mississippi to receive this award.

“We are so thankful for the leadership, hard work and commitment of Valley supporters who voted daily to help ensure we were one of the schools to receive funding,” said MVSU President Donna Oliver.

Through the Office of Sponsored Programs, MVSU submitted two campus improvement project proposals explaining how they would spend the $50,000 major grant or one of the ten $10,000 minor grants. The first was a major grant to install 10 sidewalks with curbs for the physically disabled. The second proposal was a minor grant that would add nearly 200 ADA uniform signs throughout the campus. Only one school received a major grant of $50,000 and 10 schools received minor grants of $10,000 each.

The University relied on the votes of alumni, students, faculty, staff and supporters to vote online this past spring.

The winners were chosen by public votes and an advisory panel that included: Jasmine Guy, actress/director; Rev. Bernice King, civil rights activist; Leon Kerry, commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA); Dr. Lezli Baskerville, executive director of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher education (NAFEO); and Monica Newman McCluney, director of the United Negro College Fund.

The Home Depot 'Retool Your School' grant program is designed to encourage and recognize innovative environmentally-friendly projects that contribute to the campuses of historically black colleges and universities. Please visit www.retoolyourschool.com for more information about the grant program and grant winners.

                                                                  -MVSU-