Henkel North America Expands Racial Equity Scholarship and Internship Programs for Black, Hispanic and Indigenous Students

Henkel Bolsters North American Job Pipeline with New Scholarship Program and Internship Expansion

ROCKY HILL, Conn., Dec. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 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."

About Henkel in North America
In North America, Henkel operates across its three business units: Adhesive Technologies, Beauty Care, and Laundry & Home Care. Its portfolio of well-known consumer and industrial brands includes Schwarzkopf® hair care, Dial® soaps, Persil®, Purex®, and all® laundry detergents, Snuggle® fabric softeners as well as Loctite®, Technomelt® and Bonderite® adhesives. With sales of around 6 billion US dollars (5 billion euros) in 2020, North America accounts for 27 percent of the company's global sales. Henkel employs approximately 9,000 people across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.henkel-northamerica.com, and on Twitter @Henkel_NA.

About Henkel
Henkel operates globally with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio. The company holds leading positions with its three business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies. Henkel Adhesive Technologies is the global leader in the adhesives market – across all industry segments worldwide. In its Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care businesses, Henkel holds leading positions in many markets and categories around the world. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 140 years of success. In 2020, Henkel reported sales of more than 19 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of about 2.6 billion euros. Henkel employs about 53,000 people globally – a passionate and highly diverse team, united by a strong company culture, a common purpose to create sustainable value, and shared values. As a recognized leader in sustainability, Henkel holds top positions in many international indices and rankings.

Henkel's preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. For more information, please visit www.henkel.com.

About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste."^® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF

About the Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Founded in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to Latino students, as well as related support services. We seek to give them all the tools they need to apply to college, do well in their course work, graduate, enter a profession, excel, help lead our nation going forward, and mentor the generations to come. As the nation's largest not-for-profit organization supporting Hispanic-American higher education, HSF has awarded over $400 million in scholarships and provides a range of ancillary programs for candidates, scholars, and their families. We further strive to make college education a top priority for every Latino family across the nation and to mobilize our community to proactively advance that goal – each individual, over a lifetime, in every way he/she can. For more information about the Hispanic Scholarship Fund please visit: www.HSF.net.

About Pathways to Education
Pathways to Education is a national, charitable organization breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Its award-winning program creates positive social change by supporting youth living in low-income communities to overcome barriers to education, graduate from high school, and build the foundation for a successful future. Through the collective power of partnerships, Pathways to Education's innovative program is preparing youth for tomorrow.

About AISES
Founded in 1977, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is a national nonprofit organization focused on substantially increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers. This robust nonprofit currently supports individual student and professional members across the U.S. and Canada in critically needed STEM disciplines. Through chartered college and university chapters, professional chapters, tribal chapters, and affiliated K-12 schools, members benefit from diverse STEM-focused programming that supports careers and promotes student success and workforce development in multiple crucial areas. To learn more visit aises.org.

Contact       Seona Skwara                                                                    
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SOURCE Henkel