By Edward Waters University Newsroom,
Edward Waters will expand its education and career development opportunities for students and the Jacksonville community
Edward Waters University 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.
As the first institution of higher education and the first historically black college or university in the state of Florida, Edward Waters University has always been an institution of opportunity. Collaborations such as this will substantially impact our academic community and provide transformative support to Northwest Jacksonville and the greater New Town Community in which Edward Waters serves and thrives” said Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr., president and CEO of Edward Water University.
“At Edward Waters University, our goal is to carry out the vision of The HBCU C2 community and commit to creating opportunities that will diversify the tech workforce by removing barriers, innovating STEM education, and developing life-long learning pathways. We understand that not only is programming vital to success in the technology-driven economy of the 21st century, but it can teach our students a broad range of skills that will help them in countless other areas. Edward Waters University also believes that Everyone can Code and Everyone can Create,” said Dr. Jean-Jacques Medastin, Associate Provost for Distance Learning.
Edward Waters University is now among nearly four dozen universities across the country serving as HBCUC2 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 Edward Waters University with equipment and ongoing professional development to become the pre-eminent HBCU C2 community center to bring coding and creativity to Jacksonville, Florida.
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.
