(Black PR Wire) TORRANCE, Calif. - Honda will bring together more than 200 students and coaches from 32 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with the in-person return of the 34th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC), America's premier academic competition for HBCU students. Hosted on the American Honda corporate campus in Torrance, Calif., HCASC is the only program of its kind and provides a national stage for high-achieving HBCU students to advance their dreams. The HCASC National Championship finals can be watched at 3:00 p.m. PT on April 20-21 at HCASC.com.

Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is a year-round program that celebrates Black excellence and showcases the academic talents of top HBCU students from across the country. Four-student teams from each participating school face off in head-to-head competition and must quickly answer questions about history, science, literature, religion, math, the arts, pop culture, and sports. HCASC challenges students to expand their scope of knowledge on a wide range of topics, with the opportunity to gain lifelong learning skills, including leadership, collaboration, and sportsmanship.

Based on the theme "Friends for Life," participating students have the opportunity to build camaraderie with students from other HBCUs and gain mentorship opportunities with HCASC alumni. Additionally, Honda offers development seminars to help prepare students for success after graduation.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HCASC was held virtually in 2021 and 2022. This year's HCASC theme, "Driving the Legacy," celebrates the rich history and unique experience of HBCUs and aims to inspire students to create the life they envision for themselves. Honda created HCASC as a platform to help students pursue their dreams and annually provides more than $400,000 in institutional grants to all participating HBCUs, in addition to providing travel, meals and accommodations for the 32 teams. The winning school will receive a $75,000 institutional grant from Honda.

"Honda supports HBCUs because we believe they play a unique and critical role in society and in developing the next generation of leaders," said Yvette Hunsicker, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion & Diversity at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Beyond the gameplay, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is truly a one-of-a-kind program that has provided multiple generations of HBCU students with unforgettable experiences to meet and bond with their peers from different schools."

In addition to HCASC, Honda's support of HBCUs includes Honda Battle of the Bands, the nation's premiere showcase for HBCU marching bands and dance teams, which returned to live format in February and was held for the first time on an HBCU campus at Alabama State University. Honda also has partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and UNCF to provide scholarship funding to support HBCU students pursuing an education in engineering, supply chain management, and manufacturing-related fields.

The 2023 HCASC participating HBCUs are: Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Albany State University, Benedict College, Bowie State University, Central State University, Cheyney University-Pennsylvania, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, Kentucky State University, Langston University, Lincoln University-Pennsylvania, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Oakwood University, Prairie View A&M University, Shaw University, Southern University-Baton Rouge, Spelman College, Stillman College, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, University-District of Columbia, Virginia State University, Winston-Salem State University.

To follow the teams' road to the HCASC National Championship, visit the HCASC Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Honda and Historically Black Colleges and Universities
For over 30 years, Honda has supported the success and dreams of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students through initiatives including the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge and Honda Battle of the Bands. These programs provide unforgettable experiences and opportunities for HBCU students, including meeting and networking with peers from other HBCU schools. Honda has impacted the lives of more than 200,000 students and awarded over $14 million in grants in support of HBCU education programs and facilities improvements.

To advance its leading investment in HBCUs, Honda is a member of the HBCU Partnership Challenge, a Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus initiative that brings together government, industry, and HBCUs to create strategic, more sustainable HBCU partnerships. Honda also has partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to provide annual scholarship funding to support HBCU students pursuing an education in engineering, supply chain management, and manufacturing-related fields.
Learn more at https://www.honda.com/community/diversity-reports.

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its customers and associates live and work. Honda's mission is to create products and services that improve lives while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community.

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.

#  #  #

Source: Honda