BSU Fashion Design Program Receives $50,000 Grant

Gap Inc., Harlem’s Fashion Row and Icon360 Support HBCUs

MEDIA CONTACT: Cassandra Robinson, crobinson@bowiestate.edu , 301-860-4336

(BOWIE, Md.) – The Bowie State University fashion design program, a concentration within Visual Communications and Digital Media Arts, has been awarded a $50,000 grant as part of the ‘Closing the Gap Initiative’ of Gap, Inc., Harlem’s Fashion Row and Icon360 to support historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and encourage Black students to be innovative in the world of fashion. The award is from a pool of $510,000 to assist 10 schools, making this the largest donation to HBCU fashion programs by a major retailer.

Launched through Gap Inc.'s ongoing partnership with Harlem's Fashion Row, 'Closing the Gap' aims to strengthen educational opportunities for the next generation of Black fashion leaders and provide a platform that empowers Black students to propel their studies and drive innovation within the fashion industry. Additionally, Gap Inc. and ICON360 will partner to provide mentorship and internship opportunities to students currently enrolled in each of the winning HBCU programs.

“This grant means so much for the BSU fashion program, said Danielle E. Brown, lead fashion design instructor. “We will be able to offer scholarship support to design students, enhance instructional materials to prepare students with the most up-to-date techniques of fashion design and expose them to new opportunities for internships and entrepreneurial endeavors. We look forward to the bright futures of our students as a result of this grant.”

The ten award recipients include two scholarships of $100,000 to North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T; five scholarships of $50,000 to Delaware State University, Howard University, Bowie State University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Tennessee State; and three scholarships of $20,000 to the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Clark Atlanta University and Norfolk State University.

###

About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.