Henkel NA Expands Scholarship and Internship Programs for Black, Hispanic and Indigenous Students

For the past 40 years, Henkel North America has been proud to provide students who have excelled in their studies and proven to be leaders in their communities with support to pursue their educational goals. Recognizing the need for systemic change to address barriers that make it difficult for low-income students of color to pursue higher education, Henkel, today announced its expansion of its Scholarship and Internship program for Black, Hispanic and Indigenous students in North America, an over $1 million initiative to support dozens of students with financial support and internship opportunities. In partnership with UNCF (United Negro College Fund), the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Pathways to Education Canada and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, this initiative is designed so that students from underrepresented communities have an equal chance to succeed.

The Henkel Scholarship and Internship programs for Black, Hispanic and Indigenous students are an expansion of Henkel’s ongoing support for education and increasing access to career opportunities for young people across the United States and Canada. Since 1981, Henkel has been administering the Henkel Corporation Scholarship Program to provide financial support to the children of employees in North America, and earlier this year Henkel launched the Henkel Diversity Scholarship Program  as part of the company’s commitment to creating a more diverse pipeline of future workers and closing the equity gap by providing access to education for local students. These scholarships are offered to students from underrepresented populations across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico in need of financial assistance. To date, Henkel has awarded more than $2.5 million in scholarships to over 800 students through its overall scholarship and internship programs.

“Henkel Canada’s investment in Pathways to Education will support Indigenous youth across Canada to graduate from high school and realize their full potential,” says Quinn Bingham, VP and Chief Development Officer of Pathways to Education Canada. “Working in collaboration with Indigenous communities, we will continue to break down the barriers to education and help youth build the foundation for a successful future.”

“Our commitment to building a more equitable society extends to the communities where we operate so that everyone, regardless of background, has an equal chance to succeed,” said Steven Essick, President of Henkel North America. “Henkel is proud to do our part by investing in programs that will strengthen the future workforce through access to education; and now is a more important time than ever for us to expand our program. The pandemic has exacerbated existing financial, familial, and technological barriers to higher education that impact underrepresented students the most, which could limit their opportunities in the workforce for years to come. We believe access to quality education and on-the-job experiences are crucial to help create opportunity in the job market among historically marginalized communities, and we look forward to welcoming this year’s applicants.”

“We laud this new support from Henkel. Programs like these truly make a difference for students across a wide array of backgrounds and needs,” said Sekou Biddle, Vice President for Advocacy and Student Professional Development Programs, UNCF. “We look forward to working together and hope to find new ventures that support our common goal—getting more students of color to and through college successfully.”