Architects Foundation and Fireclay Tile’s 2021 Scholarship Honored for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at the Anthem Awards

We’re honored to announce that our 2021 partnership with The Architects Foundation for the Diversity Advancement Scholarship for Black Women has been named Best in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion - Partnership or Collaboration, Silver Medal Class at the inaugural Anthem Awards.

Brought to you by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies, and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities. The Anthem Awards was launched in response to the prevalence social good has taken within the national conversation and cultural zeitgeist in recent years. The inaugural competition received nearly 2,500 entries from 36 countries worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, the Anthem Awards are defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their communities. A portion of program revenue will fund a new grant program supporting emerging individuals and organizations working to advance the causes recognized in the inaugural Anthem Awards.

In February 2021, in order to support the progress of aspiring Black women architects and narrow the racial disparities in our industry, we partnered with the Architects Foundation to sponsor a Diversity Advancement Scholarship specifically for Black women pursuing architecture.

Our campaign exceeded our expectations, reaching the initial $25,000 goal (which supports the education of one student) by February 3rd. We ended up doubling the goal to $50,000 and reached that as well from a total of 173 supporters.

“It is our distinct honor to recognize the work that brands, organizations, and individuals are all making to create an impact in their community,” said Jessica Lauretti, Managing Director, The Anthem Awards. “We launched this platform to show the world that all corners of our culture, from sports and entertainment to business leaders and celebrities, are all standing up to say, it is time for systemic change and that social good is what we value as a society.”

“This is a tremendous partnership, and we are honored to support the work of the Architects Foundation to help educate and inspire more amazing talent,” said Fireclay Tile CEO Eric Edelson.

This year, in order to continue to support the progress of aspiring Black women pursuing architecture school and narrow the racial disparities in the industry, we brought back the scholarship fund with an even higher goal of $75,000. If you’d like to learn more, donate, or set up a reoccurring donation, you can do so HERE.

Anthem Award winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Members include Daniel Dae Kim (actor, producer, and activist); Ashley Judd (Author, Actor, and Social Justice Humanitarian); Mitchell Baker (CEO and chairwoman, Mozilla); Lisa Sherman (president and CEO, Ad Council), Sarah Kate Ellis (president and CEO, GLAAD); Renata Erlikhman (chief investment officer, OW Management); Shayla Tait (director of philanthropy, The Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation); Russlynn Ali (CEO and co-founder, XQ Institute); Marc Ecko (chief commercial officer and board member, XQ Institute); Heidi Arthur (chief campaign development officer, Ad Council); and Alexis M. Herman (chair and chief executive officer, New Ventures, and former U.S. secretary of labor).

Winners for the inaugural Anthem Awards will be celebrated at the first annual Anthem Voices conference followed by a star-studded virtual Awards Show on Monday, February 28, 2022. Fans will be able to hear from social impact leaders during the day and then watch the show, featuring special moments, and hallmark speeches from winners at www.anthemawards.com.

Receiving this award is an important moment, a remarkable honor, and an extraordinary achievement to be among the inaugural class of Anthem winners. Selection as a winner means our scholarship is a best-in-class example of the work leading the way in the Impact Industry and we are incredibly proud of this accomplishment. To contribute to our scholarship fund and support the future of architecture, please click here.