GM Foundation Donates $1.3M in Scholarships to College for Creative Studies

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The General Motors Foundation today donated $1.3 million to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit for scholarships for graduate students studying design. The funds will also go to a mentorship program for Detroit Public School students.

“There is so much creative energy in Detroit, and providing unparalleled academic opportunities is key to growing the city’s identity as a center for innovation design — while also attracting even more creative talent from around the world,” says Ed Welburn, vice president of global design at GM, and a GM Foundation board member.

The GM Foundation graduate scholarships will provide support to students from around the United States and abroad through 2018. CCS, located in Detroit’s Midtown district, offers a master’s degree in fine arts in colors and materials design, interaction design, integrated design, and transportation design.

The donation will also go to the “You Make A Difference Program,” which gives Detroit Public School students insight into industrial design through a mentorship program.

“Creativity is essential to the success of many industries and communities, and the auto industry is one of the biggest users of creative talent,” says Richard Rogers, president of CCS. “We’re delighted that General Motors sees the strategic value — not just for itself but for Detroit as well — in investing in creative education and that it regards CCS’s graduate programs as a valuable source of talent.”

In 2012, the GM Foundation donated $1.25 million to name the General Motors Foundation Studios, a learning and administrative space for CCS’s four graduate programs. In the past 20 years, the automaker and its foundation have donated more than $14 million to CCS.