Clark Atlanta University Partners with Apple and Tennessee State University to Become a Community Center for Coding and Creativity

ATLANTA, Aug. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Clark Atlanta University announced it will become a community center for Coding and Creativity as part of Apple's Community Education Initiative and Tennessee State University's HBCU C². The teaching and learning initiative is designed to empower Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to expand technology and creativity experiences within their institutions and broader communities. 

"We continue to move with momentum to ensure our scholars at Clark Atlanta University have access to a world class education and that mission includes offering initiatives that focus on technology and enhancing their analytical thinking skills," said Clark Atlanta University president, George T. French, Jr. "We want our students to exercise their creativity, be competitive in the world of technology and be included in the technology career pipeline. Initiatives such as this brings them one step closer to that goal."

Clark Atlanta University is now among nearly four dozen universities across the country serving as HBCU C² community coding centers or regional hubs. Since 2019, participating HBCUs have offered new learning opportunities to thousands of degree-seeking students and community learners and expanded their impact through partnerships with local K-12 schools, community organizations, local governments, and more. 

As part of its Community Education Initiative, Apple is supporting Clark Atlanta University with equipment and ongoing professional development to become the pre-eminent HBCU C² community center to bring coding and creativity to Atlanta.

Faculty and educators will learn about coding and app development, and work with Apple to identify opportunities to incorporate its comprehensive Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create curricula, which utilizes the easy-to-learn Swift programming language. Support from Apple also includes mobile iPad and Mac labs, opportunities for student jobs and scholarships, and funding for staff. 

Established in 1988 by the historic consolidation of Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869). Clark Atlanta University continues a more than 150-year legacy rooted in African-American tradition and focused on the future. Through global innovation, transformative educational experiences, and high-value engagement. CAU cultivates lifted lives that transform the world. Notable alumni include: James Weldon Johnson; American civil rights activist, poet, and songwriter (Lift Every Voice and Sing "The Black National Anthem"; Ralph David Abernathy Sr., American civil rights activist; Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia District 4; Kenya Barris, American award-winning television and movie producer; Kenny Leon, Tony Award-winning Broadway Director; Jacque Reid, Emmy Award-winning Television Personality and Journalist; Brandon Thompson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for NASCAR; Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu.

SOURCE Clark Atlanta University