ATLANTA, GA, July 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building (ICB) announced the launch of the HBCU Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Accelerator, a multi-year effort to help historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) build sustainable, career-connected learning pathways to improve student success and institutional capacity. The initiative is supported by catalytic grants from JPMorganChase and Lumina Foundation.
The HBCU WIL Accelerator builds on UNCF’s Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), which partnered with HBCUs to strengthen guided pathways, align curricula, and enhance co-curricular engagement. Across participating institutions, CPI contributed to a 27% increase in median job placement rates, highlighting the impact of coordinated, institution-level strategies.
The Accelerator was previewed during a Global Black Economic Forum panel, “HBCUs and the Future of Work,” at the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans on July 2. The intimate convening of executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and changemakers featured Morgan State University President David Wilson and Keisha Bell, Global Head of the Office of Black Affairs at JPMorganChase, in conversation with Jasmine Haywood, Strategy Director for Credentials of Value, Lumina Foundation, who served as moderator.
“HBCUs have always been engines of talent, leadership, and economic mobility, and they must be central to shaping the future of work,” said Alphonso David, president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. “The HBCU Work-Integrated Learning Accelerator represents the kind of intentional, institution-centered investment needed to connect students to real career pathways, strengthen HBCU capacity, and build a more inclusive economy.”
“The UNCF HBCU Work-Integrated Learning Accelerator reflects our commitment to ensuring that HBCUs not only respond to the future of work but also help shape it,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. “By helping HBCUs connect academic learning, employer engagement, and student success, the Accelerator will strengthen institutional capacity, expand career-connected pathways, and advance economic mobility for students, while generating models that can be adapted across the broader HBCU ecosystem. The Accelerator and the Summit are well aligned in their commitment to building pathways for economic empowerment and lasting change.”
The project is informed by Arizona State University’s (ASU) National Work-Integrated Learning Accelerator Institute, a national effort to advance work-integrated learning through cross-sector collaboration among higher education, employers, workforce partners, and education technology providers. The ASU initiative is supported by JPMorganChase and the Strada Education Foundation.
“College should open doors to real careers—and students should be able to see the connection between what they’re learning and where it can take them,” said Curtis Reed, head of Government and Healthcare, Higher Education and Not-for-Profit Banking for JPMorganChase. “At JPMorganChase, we’re proud to support programs that connect classroom learning with real workforce experience. We’ve seen how well this can work through our support of Arizona State University’s Work-Integrated Learning Accelerator, and those lessons are helping inform this work with UNCF—so HBCUs can build career-connected pathways that last and help more students step confidently into the jobs of the future.”
As part of the initiative, Lumina is supporting the development of a regional cohort in South Carolina, with participating HBCUs engaging in early-stage readiness, landscape analysis, and institutional alignment. Selected South Carolina institutions will collaborate to identify opportunities to advance work-integrated learning across the region. Insights from this regional work will inform a broader national model.
“Lumina’s investment in the South Carolina cohort reflects our belief that regional collaboration can accelerate institutional change,” said Haywood of Lumina. “We are proud to support this effort because it builds on the strengths of HBCUs while strengthening the institutional capacity needed to create career-connected pathways that support students throughout college and beyond.”
Launching at UNITE 2026
The HBCU Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Accelerator will officially launch at UNITE 2026, UNCF’s national summit on the future of HBCUs. UNCF and its partners will host a full-day convening to introduce the WIL framework to the HBCU ecosystem.
This session will convene HBCU leaders, faculty, funders, employers, and education technology partners to align on a shared vision for career-connected learning. Designed as a field-building moment, the convening will focus on practical strategies for institutional implementation, grounded in HBCU experience.
An advisory board comprised of national leaders in work-integrated learning will guide the initiative including:
- Brandee Popaden-Smith, senior director, Arizona State University
- Amy Michaelenko, program director, Projects and Grant Management, Arizona State University
- Amber Field, head, Learning & Experience, BASTA
- LaNiesha Cobb Sanders, chief product officer, Braven
- Rukiya Kelly, global head, Corporate Impact, FICO
- Kristie Griffin, vice president, Talent & DEIB, Guild
- Andrea Juncos, senior director, Strategy & Impact for Education Practice, Jobs for the Future
- Raymond Sass, senior vice president, Education Sector, Lightcast
- Jeffrey Moss, founder & CEO, Parker Dewey
- Mara Woody, director, Strategic Partnerships, Riipen
- Corey Savage, manager, Outreach & Engagement, The Walt Disney Company
- Kevin Grubb, vice president, Work-Based Learning, Strada
Building Toward Institutional Change
Following its launch during UNITE 2026, the initiative will enter an application phase for institutions seeking to join the HBCU Community of Practice.
Up to 15 institutions will be selected to participate in the Community of Practice, engaging in a structured experience focused on readiness, pathway identification, and cross-functional coordination. Of these, eight will advance to the next phase and receive $50,000 in catalytic funding to pilot work-integrated learning models on their campuses.
Institutional leaders interested in participating in the Community of Practice are invited to attend an informational webinar on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 2 p.m. ET. Click here to register.
Applications are due on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. [click here]
For more information on the HBCU Work-Integrated Learning Accelerator, visit www.uncficb.org.
UNCF Media Contact: Remmington Belford, 832.270.0305 [email protected]
About UNCF Institute for Capacity Building (ICB)
Founded in 2006, UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building partners with HBCUs nationwide to advance student success and community progress through leadership development, strategic planning, innovation, and transformational support.
About UNCF
UNCF is one of the nation’s largest and most effective supporters of higher education and serves as a leading advocate for college-bound students. Since its founding in 1944, UNCF has raised more than $6 billion to support students’ access to higher education, provide scholarships, and strengthen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Each year, UNCF awards more than 13,000 scholarships to more than 10,000 students totaling more than $64 million. The scholarships support students attending more than 600 US-based colleges and universities, including 36 UNCF-member HBCUs. Through its efforts, UNCF has helped generations of students to get to and through college. We believe a college education plays a vital role in strengthening the pipeline of leaders and professionals who advance our society. Our logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education, and our widely recognized trademark is, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Instagram.
- UNCF Institute for Capacity Building Launches HBCU Work-Integrated Learning Accelerator