PSEG has been a large supporter of the STEM community for many years. The PSEG Foundation recently awarded the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) $40,000 to launch The RISE Advocacy Training Program – a virtual cohort experience that provides hands-on policy and advocacy training for students in higher education. The PSEG Foundation’s support aims to help increase the diversity pipeline of engineering candidates while addressing future, critical workforce needs in STEM fields.
“This experience will help aspiring engineers now and provide valuable skills for their futures when they join companies like PSEG and have opportunities to serve a wide variety of communities,” said Calvin Ledford, president, PSEG Foundation. “As we close National Engineers Week and look forward to March as National STEM Month, this is an excellent time to recognize the many contributions NSBE and its members have made globally.”
Participating members will gain the skills needed to make effective changes and help hold educational institutions accountable in their 2020 equity pledges.
Upon completion of the training program, participants will:
- Have fundamental knowledge of how to advocate in higher education
- Know how to use various tools and strategies for advocating on behalf of Black and other traditionally marginalized communities on campus
- Know how to navigate policy at the federal, state, local and institutional levels
- Know how to develop, implement and manage a comprehensive Advocacy Action Plan.
Through The RISE Advocacy Training Program, NSBE is working to realize the integration of policy, advocacy and racial equity into the learning journey for Black engineering students and encourage the higher education system to better focus on the needs of these students.
“NSBE is grateful to PSEG Foundation for acknowledging the critical importance of our work toward more racially inclusive, more effective engineering education in U.S. colleges and universities,” said Rochelle L. Williams, Ph.D., NSBE’s chief programs and membership officer. “The resources provided by this grant will help bring about the cultural change we have long been seeking, to enable Black STEM talent, and U.S. economic competitiveness, to reach their full potential.”
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