Tennessee State University last week launched the HBCU C2 Presidential Academy, a new initiative that's designed to expose students of color to coding and app development, reports The Tennessean.

The HBCU C2 Presidential Academy invited students from 14 historically black colleges and universities to learn from Apple. The program is designed to make sure that TSU and other HBCUs remain at the forefront of technology.

"The goal is to make sure HBCUs are not only up to date, but are creators and innovators of this new technology," said Robbie Melton, TSU's interim Dean of Graduates and Professional Studies and the initiative's main facilitator. "Coding and app development is a growing part of the global workforce, and we want to help make sure people of color, especially our students, are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be competitive, and successful," said TSU President Glenda Glover.

Apple CEO Tim Cook this morning tweeted about the initiative, where students learned Swift using Apple's coding curriculum and were asked to think of applications that can better the community. Apple provided equipment, scholarships, and professional development services to TSU students as part of the effort.

Anything is possible when people come together with a shared vision. Thank you to @TSUedu for your leadership and enthusiasm in bringing coding to your community and HBCUs nationwide! https://t.co/F9MNOP8fus — ‌Tim Cook‌ (@tim_cook) July 23, 2019

Lisa Jackson, Apple's VP of environment, policy, and social initiatives, said that Apple is thrilled to be working with TSU and other HBCUs to expand coding opportunities to underrepresented groups.

"Students of all backgrounds should have the opportunity to learn to code," said Jackson. "We are proud to be part of a sustainable community network that is increasing access to teaching and learning."