BIRMINGHAM, AL, April 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- — The INROADS College Links program is launching in Birmingham, Alabama, in conjunction with the fall 2023 school year. The expansion of the program, which helps prepare diverse high school students for college and career success, is being funded by the PNC Foundation.
The expansion of INROADS College Links to Birmingham helps the program reach its larger goal of closing racial opportunity and wealth gaps by giving students from all over the country meaningful experience and exposure to jobs in business, social and behavioral sciences, and STEM fields.
INROADS will host a launch celebration event at The PNC Technology Center at 10 a.m., April 25, 2023. The community is invited to attend to learn more about the program and hear from leadership at PNC and INROADS, as well as city and school officials.
“As a national main-street bank, PNC is strongly committed to the communities we serve,” said Nick Willis, PNC regional president for Greater Alabama. “We know that supporting the INROADS program helps students in historically underserved communities gain access to rewarding careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. It’s part of our promise to help everyone move forward financially.”
INROADS has been giving students from historically marginalized groups the opportunity to advance their technological and leadership abilities for over a decade, with the goal of preparing future generations to be creative, effective leaders in any sector.
The program, which is located in various cities around the country and includes a monthly meeting for participating scholars, exposes students to various fields of work, specifically STEAM and business careers, and provides them with personal and professional development curricula. As a result, students make connections and gain experience that helps them stand out in school applications and equips them to succeed in college and beyond.
“The goal of INROADS is to foster a generation of innovative and multicultural thinkers,” said Forest T. Harper, Jr., INROADS president and CEO. “The INROADS College Links program is the starting point for the next generation of community leaders, and we could not have accomplished this level of growth without the tremendous assistance of our corporate and community partners like the PNC Foundation.”
Current host cities of INROADS College Links include: Atlanta; Birmingham, Alabama; Charleston, West Virginia; Chicago; Cincinnati; Dallas; Houston; Nashville, Tennessee; Oakland, California; Orlando, Florida; Newark, New Jersey; San Antonio, Texas; Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; and Washington D.C. INROADS College Links will also launch in Detroit, Salt Lake City, and Charlotte in the coming months.
“INROADS makes a proven difference in the lives of students who participate,” said Sally McCrady, chair and president of PNC Foundation. “In cities where the program currently operates, it demonstrates impressive results in closing opportunity gaps for underrepresented youth, which aligns with our broader foundation strategy to positively impact communities through education and economic development. We also look forward to having PNC employees get involved as volunteer mentors to the students.”
# # #
About PNC Foundation
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education, and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
About INROADS
Founded in 1970, INROADS delivers innovative programs and creative solutions that identify, accelerate, and elevate the development of underrepresented talent throughout their careers. Through this development, students become equipped for corporate and community leadership that effects community renewal, social change and elevates economic status and quality of life. INROADS has more than 30,000 alumni, over 900 interns and serves 4,000+ students and 200 corporate clients. Learn more at INROADS.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn: @INROADSInc.
Attachment
Tyra Lang INROADS 2055491000 tlang@wilbron.com
