Background on the HBCU Civic Engagement Initiative
The National Academy of Public Administration is partnering with the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) to implement the Budgetball Civic Engagement Initiative to help young adults take charge of their own financial future and participate in the public discussion about how best to secure national, state and community fiscal sustainability. Funded by the Kellogg Foundation, the Budgetball Civic Engagement Initiative will be implemented at the following ten Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) during the 2009-2010 school year.
Participating Colleges and Universities (2009-2010)
- Central State University - Wilberforce, OH
- Hampton University - Hampton, Virginia
- Howard University - Washington, DC
- Kentucky State University - Frankfort, KY
- North Carolina A&T University - Greensboro, NC
- Philander Smith College - Little Rock, AR
- Rust College - Holly Springs, MS
- Savannah State University - Savannah, GA
- Southern Law Center - Baton Rouge, LA
- Voorhees College - Denmark, SC
Participation in the game of Budgetball, as well as related educational and civic engagement activities, will help students understand the issues regarding fiscal responsibility and empower them to participate in the national conversation about issues that will impact their personal financial health, as well as the fiscal future of their communities, states and nation. The Budgetball Civic Engagement Initiative aims to build a new generation of concerned and motivated young adults who possess the knowledge, skills and determination to address complex fiscal challenges.
"Even with our very affordable tuition, our students have to take out loans which place a great level of stress on them and their families. Students have to understand how to navigate with this debt and its impact."
- Walter Kimbrough, President
Philander Smith College
"For our generation, it's going to be hard...
the whole burden is on us."
- Calvin Williams, Student
Philander Smith College