While academics are still at the very top when it comes to creating a quality school, the appearance and function of a college campus contribute greatly. Student and faculty quality of life, as well as campus pride and many other factors are directly connected to the quality and appearance of a school’s campus.
This is precisely why Home Depot is proud to announce its fifth year of Retool Your School! Here, we’ll review the program itself and what’s involved.
What is Retool Your School?
Home Depot’s Retool Your School is a grant program geared specifically toward HBCUs. Home Depot recognizes the incredible advancements and breakthroughs which have come directly from HBCUs, their students, and their alumni. They also believe that these richly historic campuses are national treasures whose appearance and upkeep need to be carefully maintained.
In keeping with these beliefs, the Home Depot began offering Retool Your School. 2014 will be the fifth year of the project.
Over $250,000 in total will be awarded. The prizes are divided into three categories. One grand-prize winner – Tier I – will receive fifty thousand dollars from the Home Depot. Thirteen Tier II winners will receive ten thousand dollars apiece. They also offer a special Campus Pride prize of twenty-five thousand dollars. This prize is unique because it’s entirely based on student activity and social media. The school which demonstrates the most pride in their campus will be rewarded!
Grant money will be spent at the discretion of school officials, occasionally with the input of student groups. The money is intended to improve the overall appearance the structural quality of a campus, and can be used for anything from a new building to campus landscaping!
How to Vote for Retool Your School
Online voting for HBCU campus improvements couldn’t be simpler. HBCU students, alumni, faculty, friends and family should visit Home Depot’s campus improvement voting page, and support their school’s proposed campus improvements by voting online daily. The Retool Your School voting period begins February 17th, at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) EST and ends April 14, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Retool Your School Voting Rules
Daily voting is limited to one vote per personal device, per day during the voting period. The Retool Your School scores are cumulative (the total votes from start to end of the voting period). Each school’s total votes will be tallied and divided by the total student population for their respective school to determine that school’s total online voting score.
The work doesn’t stop when you vote daily. It’s up to you to encourage your friends, classmates, co-workers and alumni groups to support your HBCU’s Retool Your School campus improvement projects, as well as to help get the word out.
Visit www.retoolyourschool.com/vote-now and vote online daily. Unlimited voting on social media is allowed for the Campus Pride Project.
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Sharon says
April 1, 2014 at 12:06 amI have been trying to vote for Fisk University for 3 days, I keep receiving the same message that “what I entered didn’t match” when it actually did which I had verified.
I don’t think it is a fair contest if people can’t have their votes accepted.
Do you have an explanation for why our votes aren’t being accepted? This has happened to three other who have been trying to vote for Fisk. I see other schools votes changing, Howard used to be first, now they are fifth so I know the website is accepting some schools votes.