According to a report in Forbes, billionaire Michael Bloomberg is expanding his longstanding support for historically Black colleges and universities by investing in K-12 public charter schools located on HBCU campuses. Bloomberg Philanthropies and the City Fund announced a $20 million initiative to launch two Alabama schools—one at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa and one near Tuskegee University—that are designed to create direct academic pipelines into HBCUs and strengthen future career opportunities for Black students.
Forbes reports that the investment will support the I Dream Big Academy on Stillman’s campus, which opened earlier this year, and the D.C. Wolfe Charter School in Shorter, which is being converted from an existing elementary school and is expected to open in fall 2026. Students at both sites will have access to dual-enrollment courses at the partnering universities and community-based internships intended to accelerate degree completion.
Jasmine Jenkins, senior program officer for education and advocacy at Bloomberg Philanthropies, told Forbes, “There are two schools that have been announced, and there are a few more in the pipeline that we’re really excited about. This is a continuation of the work that Mike Bloomberg and Bloomberg Philanthropies has been doing for over a decade—supporting high-quality public charter schools and supporting the work that historically Black colleges and universities have been doing for decades.”…