Board of Trustees of SIU to receive $250K for economic empowerment center
CARBONDALE, Ill. (KBSI) – The Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University will receive a quarter of a million dollars to provide training and resources to individuals and entrepreneurs from historically disinvested communities pursue job opportunities.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) awarded $2.5 million in grant funding to 10 recipients through the Illinois Economic Empowerment Centers Grant Program (EEC).
The EEC Grant Program was developed to help create an inclusive business ecosystem within communities that historically faced systemic barriers to entry and growth through dynamic partnerships, targeted outreach, and tailored programs and initiatives, according to the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity.
“Intentional community investment and training brings economic empowerment to communities that have suffered from historic disinvestment,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This is a top priority for my administration, and I am thrilled to see funding go to local organizations that advance the EEC’s mission by providing educational resources to start-ups, existing businesses, and dislocated workers.”
“I am eager to see the Economic Empowerment Centers forge a clearer path to success for business owners from historically underserved communities,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “By fostering a more equitable entrepreneurial landscape, this transformative initiative will have a profound and lasting impact on our state’s economic future.”
“The EEC program is critical to ensuring the State is continuing to do its part to create a diverse business ecosystem across Illinois,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “Through this grant funding and the dedication of the selected nonprofits and community organizations, Illinoisans who have historically faced barriers to entry will have the resources, tools and training they need to succeed in the workplace.”
