SEATTLE — The foundation of the rock band Metallica plans to invest $10 million over the next three years in its successful workforce development initiative, which has supported 13,000 community college students since it started in 2019.
Renée Richardson, director of philanthropy at the All Within My Hands Foundation, announced the additional funding during the board meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) prior to the start of AACC’s annual convention.
The foundation, which partners with AACC on the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI), has already invested a total of $15 million into MSI, Richardson said, adding that it has served seven cohorts of colleges totaling 75 two-year colleges in all 50 states and Guam. And it just opened applications for the eighth cohort, which will include 15 selected colleges that will each receive $75,000 to support career and technical education. (The deadline is April 27.) Colleges can use the funds to support student scholarships, student safety gear, learning materials and related activities.
Richardson highlighted the initiative to board, which included videos from some of the colleges that have received MSI grants, including Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, WSU Tech (Kansas) and Oxnard College (California). Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo was so impressed when he joined a call with the Oxnard program that he decided to visit its Fire Academy to meet the students.
Richardson said she particularly appreciates the college leaders who have embraced the program. Kevin Brockbank, chancellor of the Spokane Colleges district (Washington), comes to each MSI meeting sporting a business suit and a Metallica shirt, she noted.
“We have seen a lot of love for the program,” Richardson said. “We’re developing partnerships because of the strength of our work with AACC and the great work that each of the community colleges that we work with have done.”
