Adobe and the Adobe Foundation invested $30 million to support both racial and social justice across the United States and throughout the world as part of its Equity and Advancement Initiative (EAI). The funds are being directed toward “equal access to education and economic opportunity, as well as career development for the next generation of leaders.” Adobe and the Adobe Foundation has also invested $9 million across Minority Serving Institutions to help make digital and creative literacy more equitable.
Operating along the same vein as philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, Adobe is using a “trust-based philanthropy” model and “empowering the nonprofits to allocate funding to best serve their needs to expand programming in education, workforce and community development.” Traditionally, philanthropic giving has been prescriptive, but Scott is pushing donors to trust grant recipients to make decisions. She advocates conducting ample research before providing funds, enabling donors to be hands-off after making an investment. For example, Scott said, “All of these leaders and organizations have a track record of effective management and significant impact in their fields. I gave each a contribution and encouraged them to spend it on whatever they believe best serves their efforts.” This trust-based approach is especially important when working with communities of color given the history of a lack of trust for organizations led by people of color.
One focus of Adobe’s education initiative is Minority Serving Institutions, especially HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Two of the institutions receiving funding from Adobe are historically Black Bowie State University (BSU) and San José State University (SJSU), an HSI. These institutions are designated Adobe Creative Campuses, which ensures that students, faculty, and staff have access to Adobe Creative Cloud apps, empowering them to cultivate creative communication skills essential for the modern workforce. BSU and SJSU are also participating in several other programs and receiving much-needed funding related to enhancing technology.
According to Aminta Breaux, President of Bowie State University, “Digital literacy and creative skilling are invaluable resources for students entering today’s workforce. The multi-pronged support from Adobe and the Adobe Foundation has enabled BSU to provide our students with financial support, internship programs, faculty research collaborations, mentorship opportunities, and enhanced campus facilities including an upgraded video editing and composting suite for our growing digital media programs.”
One of the aspects of Adobe’s support that is most appreciated is internships as students benefit immensely from hands on experiences and they are better prepared for the workforce. From the perspective of Rose Shumba, a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Bowie State University, “I am so happy to see the Cybersecurity Internship program Adobe initiated with Bowie State University. There are numerous benefits spanning from excellent learning experiences through effective collaboration, networking, and teamwork with seasoned, talented, and accomplished professionals, to getting paid over the spring and the summer.” She added, “What a great way to help foster, promote and nurture the success of under-represented minority students, as they prepare to enter the cyber workforce.”
Another initiative that includes students from HBCUs and HSIs is Adobe’s Student Athlete Micro Internship (SAMI) program, which engaged a 30-person cohort this summer, and allowed a group of diverse student athletes from institutions like SJSU and Bowie State to develop valuable career skills by participating in specialized internship projects at Adobe. These internships require a commitment of four-hour workdays, and the roles are tailored to align with the student athletes’ interests, ensuring an immersive experience in Adobe’s culture while contributing to the Sales, Marketing, and Employee Experience teams. According to Vincent J. Del Casino, Jr., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, San José State University, “SJSU deeply values continued support from Adobe and the Adobe Foundation as their collaborative work with us is empowering the next generation of leaders and addressing educational inequities that face many students pursuing a college degree and career. Together with our faculty, SJSU will continue embedding digital and creative literacy skills and practices into curriculum and programs across the breadth of our institution.” He added, “SJSU is also deeply invested in supporting students as they pursue career aspirations with Adobe’s internship and mentorship opportunities.”
Programs like SAMI are important according to research by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) because research shows that women student-athletes are 6% less likely and men student-athletes are 17% less likely to work as interns compared to other college students. Moreover, NACE also found that students “who complete paid internships are twice as likely to have accepted a job by graduation” than those who had no internship experience. These percentages make SAMI an important addition to the internship landscape.
One of the participants in SAMI is SJSU’s Jaylan Lawson. Lawson is a senior interested in a marketing and a linebacker on SJSU’s Spartans football team. According to Lawson, “Football is my passion, but the SAMI program at Adobe allowed me to meet my athletic training needs while also providing a career development opportunity and exposure to the tech industry. Adobe’s unique internship program enabled me to apply my leadership, team building and communications skills off the field, while contributing to strategic projects as I complete my degree in communication studies and embark on a career in marketing.”
With increased support to HBCUs and HSIs, Adobe is focused on nurturing talent from diverse backgrounds in a multifaceted way to support a variety of students of color.
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