Spelman College has received a $1.25 million UNCF® Career Pathways Initiative (CPI) implementation grant to increase the number of students who transition to meaningful jobs in their chosen fields after graduation. Made possible through a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., CPI is a unique pilot program for select historically black colleges and universities and predominantly black institutions that is helping them enhance career readiness for their 54,000 enrolled students.

Spelman is one of 24 institutions that will benefit from this transformative effort to design and implement programs to improve employment outcomes for graduates. As part of CPI, the selected institutions will develop a range of academic programs, student internships, industry partnerships, and faculty development as they forge a new model for career readiness. Led by Tinaz Pavri, Ph.D., Division Chair for Social Sciences and Humanities, Spelman’s CPI aligns with UNCF’s three priority strategies – curricular enhancement, integrated co-curricular engagement and guided pathways. “These colleges and universities show promise in significantly addressing the urgent challenges facing African-American college students and graduates,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, UNCF president and CEO. “We heartily congratulate Spelman College and the 23 other institutions chosen to lead this important work.