TYLER – Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, announced the 2012 winners of its popular RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL Campus Improvement Grant Program. Tyler’s own, TEXAS COLLEGE garnered one of the $10,000 Tier Two coveted awards. Funds granted from the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program will be used to renovate the entrance to Fair Hall, a female dormitory, for better handicap accessibility. “This is another awesome opportunity for us to upgrade our campus to meet the needs of an ever growing and diverse population,” states Anthony Meyers, Director of Development.

Now in its third year, this initiative was designed to specifically reinvigorate Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). More than 60 HBCUs competed for grants totaling $185,000 for sustainable on-campus improvements. Home Depot is proud of its Retool Your School grant program, now entering its third year. Home Depot is excited by the success and growth of this dynamic initiative. To date, 22 schools have received $300,000 in grants from the company; with the goal of issuing grants for projects that have a lasting impact. This unique competition extends to alumni, family and friends, as well as students to vote for their favorite HBCU. It rallies the community together to make a sustainable difference.

Online voting for the 2012 program took place from February 14-April 10, 2012. This year, the RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program received an outpouring of support from HBCU alumni, family, friends and the community, who all joined together to show their school pride and spirit as they voted for their favorite HBCUUs and projects to make an impact for generations to come. “The RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL program continues to grow each year. Receiving more than 1.75 million votes this year, the HBCU community really galvanized their students, alumni and social networks to encourage their supporters to vote,” states Melissa Brown, manager, Multicultural Marketing, The Home Depot. As the competition continues to gain momentum, schools have really worked hard to submit proposals for projects that can be done within the budget parameters, while also enhancing their campuses for generations to come.

2012 RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL winners were chosen by a combination of public, online voting and review by a distinguished panel of judges, which this year included: Laz Alonzo, actor; Dr. Lezli Baskerville, President, National Association for Equal Opportunity In Higher Education and, Monica Newman McCluney, Director, Corporate Alliances, United Negro College Fund, both returning judges for the third straight year; Justin Durant, NFL Player for the Detroit Lions; and, Gregory Moore, Esq., Commissioner, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SSIAC).