Alabama A&M nails a $100K prize in Home Depot Retool Your School program

HUNTSVILLE — Riding the strength of more than 500,000 votes, Alabama A&M University has been named a winner in The Home Depot Retool Your School program.

It was the fourth straight winning effort for the Bulldogs who will receive a $100,000 campus improvement grant.

Past years of the competition allowed institution-specific social media hashtags to be tallied as votes. This year, voting was conducted on the RYS website only. Despite the change, Bulldog Nation once again registered strong support.

This year’s win signifies the passion of the Alabama A&M community, as AAMU garnered 517,146 total votes – the second most of all 67 competing institutions. The effort officially brings a 4-peat Retool Your School win to The Hill.

In 2021 and 2022, Alabama A&M secured the first prize $75,000 campus improvement grant. In 2023, as The Home Depot raised the stakes to offer more resources to competing HBCUs, AAMU won a first prize grant worth $150,000 in campus improvements.

“The Home Depot has a proud legacy of supporting and uplifting Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We’ve reached more than 82 universities over the last 15 years with many multi-year relationships with the same schools,” said Molly Battin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of The Home Depot. “Our Retool Your School grants play a crucial role in ensuring that prestigious universities can continue supporting students and their communities through critical campus improvements and innovation lounges that foster creativity and collaboration.

“These grants go beyond just improving physical spaces: they foster positive outcomes for students and communities across the U.S.”

Since 2009, the Retool Your School Program has provided over $9.2 million in grants that allow HBCUs to make sustainable improvements to their campuses. The Home Depot has grown the Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant Program to a total grant pool to $2 million awarded among 30 HBCUs. This year’s win marks AAMU’s sixth in the program’s 15-year history.

Past AAMU Retool Your School Wins:

• 2024 – $100,000 (Second Place)
• 2023 – $150,000 (First Place)
• 2022 – $75,000 (First Place)
• 2021 – $75,000 (First Place)
• 2019 – $50,000 (First Place)
• 2012 – $25,000 (Campus Pride Award)