Washington, DC, June 17, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is pleased to announce a $600,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to help build future leaders and assist with scholarships for students attending publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), announced TMCF President & CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. The grant will support TMCF’s Annual Leadership Institute, strengths-based coaching and mentorship for low-income students and first-generation scholarships for freshman college students at TMCF’s 47 member-schools.

“The Leadership Institute, in particular, gives talented future leaders a one-of-a-kind intensive, professional and career development experience,” says Taylor. “This is a great opportunity for these hand-picked students to network and interview with some of the nation’s top executives and elite graduate school recruiters.”

For the last 14 years, TMCF has hosted its annual Leadership Institute, the premier recruitment conference for publicly-supported HBCU students. This four-day conference gives talented future leaders a unique professional development experience. A highly selected group of 500 students have the opportunity to network and participate in sessions with some of the nation’s top executives on leadership development, career management, life skills, financial literacy and global competiveness. One of the main components of the conference is the Recruitment Fair, where students meet and interview with over 60 companies and government agencies for job and internship opportunities, in addition to some graduate program opportunities from some of the best in the country.

“The Walmart Foundation has been a loyal supporter of TMCF for years and continued partnership shows their commitment to education, but more importantly creating the workforce of tomorrow,” continued Taylor.

Continue reading