A group of young people in the U.S. who are working to eradicate poverty and blight in Pontiac, Michigan join forces with AkzoNobel's Human Cities initiative to revitalize the city and help make people's lives more livable and inspiring, according to the company. Leaders of the Future, established by a group of high school students in 2014, is a growing organization that has adopted a hands-on approach to reinvigorating the Pontiac area. Their work has now been recognized through a partnership with AkzoNobel is recognizing their work through a partnership that includes a $100,000 Human Cities grant award.
The funding, which reportedly underlines the company's global commitment to improving, energizing and regenerating urban communities across the world, will be made available over the next two years. Half the amount will support various sustainability-themed community projects that Leaders of the Future will activate in Pontiac, and half will be used to establish a higher education scholarship fund supporting the educational ambitions of the group's membership.
"AkzoNobel can trace its origins in Pontiac back to 1902 and, as a company that's proud of this heritage, we were impressed by the sustainable approach Leaders of the Future has introduced to revitalize the city," says Johan Landfors, president of AkzoNobel North America. "The grant will help to expand the good work they do, while our scholarship program will give their members the opportunity to enter higher education and provide a springboard to what I'm sure will be very successful careers."
For more information, visit: www.akzonobel.com