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Miles College is receiving a grant from Alabama Power and its parent, Southern Company, to support the Miles College Empowerment Center for Digital Excellence in Careers and Education (M-Power Center). The gift is part of Southern Company and its subsidiaries’ $50 million HBCU Initiative, a multiyear funding strategy announced in January 2020 that provides HBCU students with scholarships, internships, leadership development and access to technology and innovation to support career readiness.
The M-Power center will allow students and faculty to learn, train, and regularly engage with the newest cutting-edge technology. The center will focus on STEM education, capacity building, and training components. In addition, the function of this center will support instructional delivery and promote student enrollment and retention.
“We are very pleased to receive this generous grant from Alabama Power and Southern Company,” said Bobbie Knight, Miles College President. “During these challenging times, especially with the coronavirus pandemic having changed the way we serve our students, this grant will help us improve our technology capabilities and continue to innovate to meet our students’ needs.”
Alabama Power and Southern Company are honored to be part of a growing group of corporate and philanthropic partners that have increased support for HBCUs in the wake of COVID-19 and mounting calls for racial justice. Both businesses believe deeply in the importance of HBCUs in higher education and in their impact on economic development, innovation and American life.
“Our hope is that this funding will draw further recognition to schools like Miles College and deepen partnerships between business and civic leaders and these vital institutions,” said Myla Calhoun, Vice President of Birmingham Division at Alabama Power. “HBCUs are at the forefront of innovation and academic excellence in Alabama, and across the country, and we hope that our company’s investment will only accelerate this important work.”
