Super Bowl Host Committee Awards St. Petersburg College A Grant For Social Justice Initiative

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t the only Super Bowl winners this season. The Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee, which is collaborating with community change agents, has awarded St. Petersburg College a $15,000 grant to support a local social justice initiative.

The grant will fund the SPC Social Justice Institute, which will focus on the importance of establishing community partnerships around equity and diversity, social and ethnic inclusion, civic and cultural engagement, and community service.

Dr. Luz D. Randolph, Executive Director of Development with the SPC Foundation, said she is excited about the project, already underway with the development of a team of key players who will work to impact the community at large and a series of events scheduled throughout the spring.

“SPC’s Social Justice Institute is a community of thoughtful, educated, engaged and empowered leaders ready for change,” Randolph said. “This along with everything that has transpired over the last year has sparked the conversation of creating a safe space for dialogue and innovation.”

As part of the initiative, the college will keep the plays coming by hosting several workshops, events and a two-day conference over the next several months.

Through the month of March, SPC’s Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions (ISPS) will host a three-speaker series on Economic Evolution, Understanding Quality Care Amid COVID, and Guardianship.

For Women’s History Month, the SPC Women on the Way’s Leadership Conference will provide a leadership professional development day where participants can exchange ideas and address important issues.

From April to May, Safe Zone Training Certification will be held to train participants to utilize their gained knowledge and skills to foster a safe and inclusive community for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff and community members to promote social justice in our community.

Additionally, the Social Justice Institute experience will culminate in a two-day conference featuring panelists, workshops and keynote speakers.

This grant is a perfect fit for the college’s Community of Care initiative. SPC kicked off the year and its work helping others by partnering with Hope Villages of America, formerly known as RCS Pinellas, to distribute food boxes to those in need for the 2021 MLK Day of Service.

“SPC has always been ahead of its time,” Randolph said. “Creating opportunities where our students, faculty, staff and community partners can be engaged in meaningful and action-driven conversations is necessary as we create a Community of Care that surpasses our region.”

This press release was produced by the St Petersburg College News. The views expressed are the author's own.