Foundation to help raise money for Pennsylvania HBCU
(DALLAS, TX – October 10, 2012) The Tom Joyner Foundation, a major driving force in raising money for historically black colleges since 1998, has kicked off a three-month long fundraising drive for Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the nation’s oldest institution of higher learning for African Americans.
The Foundation, formed by the nationally syndicated radio personality and philanthropist, chose Cheyney as part of its on-going effort to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in broadening and strengthening their efforts to raise money to help keep students in college. Funds received will provide support to Cheyney University’s Call Me Mister (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) teacher preparation program, which is focused on preparing both males and females for the teaching profession. Students are largely selected from the under-served, and educationally at-risk communities in southeastern Pennsylvania (especially the Philadelphia/Chester/Coatesville areas), Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Participants are recruited from various levels of academic progress including high school students, current Cheyney undergraduate students and professionals considering a career change.
“We’re excited to work with Cheyney,” stated Joyner, a graduate of Tuskegee Institute (Tuskegee, AL) and the Foundation’s chairman and host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. “It has a wonderful history and tradition of educating the future leaders of our country.”
Cheyney University will be promoted by the Tom Joyner Morning Show and receive those funds raised from listeners, alumni and other interested parties. The show, aired in 115 markets around the country, reaches nearly eight million listeners every week. After October, Cheyney will receive additional support from the Foundation through online promotional presence and special spotlights. To support Cheyney, please go to https://tomjoynerfoundation.com and click “Donate.”
“Cheyney University is extremely pleased to be named as the ‘School of the Quarter’ by the Tom Joyner Foundation. This recognition comes at an important time in the life of the University, as we celebrate our 175th Anniversary. The University’s legacy of preparing leaders for the 21st Century must continue to strengthen America and to meet the 2025 goal of a more educated citizenry, “ stated Dr. Michelle R. Howard-Vital, Cheyney’s President.
Cheyney University, based in Cheyney, PA., is set on over 200 acres of lush, rural landscape, within driving distance of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. The University will celebrate its 175th Anniversary on Thursday, October 18th at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Some of the University’s top alumni include Jim Vance, longtime NBC-4 (Washington, DC) news anchor; the late Ed Bradley (“60 Minutes” journalist); Gladys Styles Johnston (Chancellor, University of Nebraska at Kearney) and The Honorable Thaddeus Kirkland (PA-159th District), just to name a few. Cheyney is home to the Ed Bradley Broadcast Center, the Call Me Mister teaching program, the Keystone Honors Academy, a new 400-bed state-of-the-art residence hall, as well as undergraduate and graduate programs in two locations – Cheyney, PA and Philadelphia, PA. In keeping with the University’s vision to prepare more students in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM), a new $22 million science center is now under construction. For more information and to purchase tickets to the Gala, please visit the website at http://www.cheyney.edu.
Founded in 1998, the Tom Joyner Foundation has focused on its primary mission of helping to keep students enrolled in HBCUs. The Foundation has raised more than $60 million to help keep students enrolled in black colleges/universities, has assisted more than 20,000 students and worked with more than 100 HBCUs. Each week, the Foundation announces outstanding male student scholarship winners, called Hercules Scholars, on the nationally syndicated radio show hosted by its founder, Tom Joyner.