MIAD receives Molson Coors Project Justice Scholarship Awards

©Rebecca Kames

As part of its $1.5 million Project Justice investment in organizations serving BIPOC individuals, Molson Coors has donated $130,000 to the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD).

The funds will be awarded in three ways:

• Molson Coors Project Justice Housing Scholarship – to be awarded to BIPOC students.
• Molson Coors Project Justice Endowed Scholarship – to be awarded to students, or students with immediate family members, who have been incarcerated.
• Molson Coors Project Justice Completion Grant – to be awarded as scholarships for BIPOC students and program funds to support MIAD’s work as a emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

“We are exceptionally honored to be recognized and supported by Molson Coors for ‘addressing educational disparities and creating a more diverse pipeline of future employees and leaders,’” says MIAD President Jeff Morin.

In the Milwaukee area, people of color are significantly underrepresented in creative industries relative to their representation in the labor market, a 2019 study by Dr. Marc Levine for the Center for Economic Development found. In Milwaukee’s design industry alone, Black Americans were almost five times less likely to be employed as designers than would be predicted by their percentage in the overall workforce.

MIAD was designated an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution in 2021; and 33% of its students identify as people of color. With four out of five graduates staying in the Milwaukee area for their first job, Morin says, “Molson Coors’ investment in MIAD will help our college continue its comprehensive Equity & Inclusion initiatives and work toward achieving a more vibrant and creative Milwaukee.”

“The generosity of Molson Coors, and the foresight of its leadership team, will directly impact and improve student lives at MIAD, and the lives of all the individuals the company is supporting,” says Tracy Milkowski, MIAD Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “Molson Coors’ goal ‘to help build career pathways that lead from education to employment’ has long been MIAD’s mission, and we are proud and grateful to partner with them in achieving it.”

Scholarship funds are administered by MIAD’s Financial Aid Office. Click here for more scholarship information and how to apply to MIAD.

Click here for information on MIAD’s Our Creative Future campaign to increase students’ access to a MIAD education, ensure their success throughout the college experience and support the college’s continued growth.

Read more about Molson Coors’ Project Justice and grant recipients here.