Association of American Publishers Partners with United Negro College Fund to Enhance Diversity Recruiting Efforts in Publishing

Association of American Publishers Partners with United Negro College Fund to Enhance Diversity Recruiting Efforts in Publishing

Washington, DC; January  14, 2016 –  The Association of American Publishers (AAP) announced today  a  2016 summer internship program  in partnership with UNCF (United Negro College Fund) to increase the talent, skill set, expertise, views, and ideas that define a healthy and vibrant  publishing industry.   

“In an industry where our ideas are our commodity, recruiting diverse talent is a top priority for publishers,” said Tina Jordan, Vice President of the Association of American Publishers. “Attracting African American student interns to the publishing industry is an important step our member organizations are taking to expand workforce diversity and inclusion efforts.”

Paid summer internships for high-achieving African American students will be offered at industry-leading companies, including Cengage Learning, Elsevier, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan, McGraw-Hill Education, Penguin Random House,  Scholastic and W.W. Norton. Internships will cross functions including editorial, marketing, publicity, sales and digital engineering. Students will be placed in New York, Washington, Boston, and St. Louis in its inaugural year.

A maximum of ten juniors or seniors from any of the nations over 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with an interest in pursuing a career in the publishing industry are eligible for an internship. Students with a minimusm GPA of 3.0, a record of leadership and community service, and strong writing skills should apply online by February 22, 2016 at the UNCF website or bookjobs.com.
“Investment in emerging leaders is a critical factor to the ongoing success of minority students. UNCF supports this investment by establishing strategic partnerships to create Student Professional Development Programs like our new AAP-UNCF Internship Program. Like our partners, we understand the essential role internships play in providing college students exposure, experience, and career entry points beyond graduation,” said Taliah Givens, Executive Director, Student Professional Development Programs at UNCF.  “We commend AAP and the publishing industry for their initiative in recognizing the need for ongoing diversity and providing opportunities for students to learn that a career in publishing can be a realistic option.”

About AAP

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) represents about four hundred member organizations including major commercial, digital learning and education and professional publishers alongside independents, non-profits, university presses and scholarly societies. We represent the industry’s priorities on policy, legislative and regulatory issues regionally, nationally and worldwide.  These include the protection of intellectual property rights and worldwide copyright enforcement, digital and new technology issues, funding for education and libraries, tax and trade, censorship and literacy.   Find us online at www.publishers.org or on twitter at @AmericanPublish.

About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF awards more than $100 million in scholarships annually and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in." Learn more at www.uncf.org.