06/17/2024

Citizens Celebrates Local Nonprofits Helping Prepare the Tech Talent of the Future

$350,000 awarded to seven nonprofits as part of Citizens 22nd Champions in Action grant program

Providence, RI (June 17, 2024) – Citizens announced the seven nonprofits selected as its 2024 Champions in Action® for this round’s focus on digital upskilling. Each nonprofit winner will receive $50,000 in unrestricted funding, as well as significant promotional and volunteer support from Citizens to support their efforts to prepare youth and workers for in-demand digital and technology jobs. 

“At Citizens, we recognize the importance of developing the workforce of the future to meet the acceleration of needed skills and capabilities across all generations,” said Michelle Hecht, Citizens’ Head of Corporate Affairs. “We’re excited to recognize this group of Champions for their upskilling and reskilling programs within our local communities that are expanding access to trainings and resources needed to meet the technology needs of the future.” 

Citizens’ Champions in Action program celebrates and supports local nonprofits with operating budgets under $5 million who are creating lasting change in the communities they serve. Twice a year, one nonprofit in each of Citizens’ seven major markets is selected to receive funding, promotional and volunteer support to accelerate programming and services focused on a rotating topic that aligns with one of Citizens’ sustainability and impact focus areas – Driving Positive Climate Impact, Building the Workforce of the Future, and Fostering Strong Communities.  

2024 Champions in Action – Digital Upskilling: 

1Hood Media Academy
Western Pennsylvania 		1Hood Media’s programs provide digital upskilling opportunities that help bridge the digital divide. The Champion in Action award will help fund program materials including software, equipment, and learning aids. Long-term, 1Hood Media intends to continue implementing programming that demystifies technology while building strong digital foundations and socio-economic skills.
America On Tech
New York City 		America On Tech (AOT) creates tech career-connected pathways for underestimated students into degrees and careers in technology, empowering young people of color to disrupt inequitable and exclusionary systems. The Champions in Action award will support and further innovate AOT’s established TECH FLEX LEADERS program to teach high school juniors and seniors robust weekly coding lessons.
Boston Music Project
Massachusetts 		Boston Music Project (BMP) is actively dismantling barriers to access in the music industry for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged youth. BMP will use the Champion in Action award to fund the expansion of their Workforce Apprenticeship Program to include additional students and broader training opportunities. These training opportunities include the inaugural youth music festival in Boston, designed and executed by BMP students, marking a significant achievement in their professional development and in the city's cultural calendar.
The Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket
Rhode Island 		The Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket aims to inspire and enable young people from Pawtucket and surrounding communities to realize their full potential as healthy, productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The Champions in Action award will support their workforce development program Members to Moguls through incorporating more advanced digital skills training and extending their network of professional partners for internships, while developing their digital literacy curriculum for STEM career initiatives, such as coding, and information technology, to create even more future opportunities for our community youth.
GI Go Fund
New Jersey 		GI Go Fund assists military veterans and their families, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, and all people in need with employment, entrepreneurship, benefits, and housing. With the Champion in Action funding, GI Go Fund plans to expand its infrastructure, including their online portal for job training and employment to support their new AI training offerings.
LaunchPad
Eastern Pennsylvania 		LaunchPad aims to build accelerated pathways from high school to high paying tech careers, especially for Black and Latinx youth. They prepare students to enter the tech talent pipeline, meet industry needs, and diversify the tech sector. The Champion in Action award will support LaunchPad’s curriculum, allocating funds towards essential hardware and devices, guaranteeing every student, regardless of their financial background, has access to the required technology.
Makers Mill
New Hampshire 		Makers Mill's mission is to support workforce development and career pathways by providing access to resources and training, relative to the current job market. The Champions in Action award will allow Makers Mill to invest in technology and software to facilitate the upskilling and reskilling for students and workers for in-demand digital and technology jobs. Funds will also be set aside for full scholarships for income-eligible students.

Champions in Action recipients will benefit from:

  • A $50,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from Citizens
  • Local media coverage and public service announcements
  • Volunteer support from Citizens colleagues
  • Public relations and promotional support

Since the program’s launch 22 years ago, Citizens has awarded more than $11 million in unrestricted grants and promotional and volunteer support to more than 380 Champions in Action nonprofit winners across the bank’s footprint. The initiative is part of Citizen’s broader sustainability and impact efforts to build the workforce of the future and foster strong communities through its strategic community investments and colleague volunteerism. In 2023, more than 8,700 Citizens colleagues contributed more than 232,000 volunteer hours to support 3,350 community organizations.

For information on the Champions in Action program and Citizens’ Sustainability and Impact efforts, click here.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $220.4 billion in assets as of March 31, 2024. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,300 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.