Bulleit Frontier Whiskey has announced a partnership which will offer $25,000 in annual scholarships to benefit students in need in the Master of Agriculture Sciences in Environmental Studies Program at Kentucky State University (KSU).
Bulleit, known for its focus on sustainability and community-building enterprises, intends the annual scholarship program to promote diversity in the spirits industry. The brand also seeks to offer improved opportunities for future leaders from underrepresented backgrounds from it’s home state, Kentucky.
Speaking of the partnership Ricky Collett, Global & US Brand Director, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey said:
“We hope to make a lasting impact as we provide resources, funding and support to the next generation of pioneers through our partnership with Kentucky State University, an institution that has been an educational pillar for over a century in the Commonwealth,”
“This annual scholarship is a part of our commitment to help build a pipeline of diverse talent into the spirits industry by supporting the sustainability leaders of tomorrow.”
Designed to cut across traditional academic disciplines and colleges, the Kentucky State University MES program will also provide sound and effective graduate education and research on important environmental issues with a focus in and around the Kentucky community.
Bulleit continues the brand’s commitment to a more sustainable future by supporting pioneers like the MES graduate students, who are pushing the frontier of sustainability and the alternative energy job economy in Kentucky forward.
Speaking of the university’s relationship with Bulleit, Dr. M. Christopher Brown II, President of Kentucky State University said:
“We appreciate this generous donation from Bulleit and the opportunities it will create to ensure some of our most talented and brightest students are given the chance to become future leaders regardless of their socioeconomic background, status or race,”
“With this partnership we’re helping remove a financial barrier that prevents students from getting across the finish line.”
The Bulleit scholarship is an addition to the broader $10 million commitment that Diageo North America announced earlier this year to fund permanent endowments at 25 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to develop future leaders and help shape a more equitable society. One million of that donation went to KSU, proudly making it the largest donation in school’s history. The Bulleit grant will be distributed within the KSU institution through a fund structure established to provide $25,000 to support students in the MES program annually for the next five years.
With a goal of making a long term and sustainable impact in helping to promote diversity in the beverage alcohol industry, Bulleit aspires to partner with KSU on additional community-driven initiatives beyond the monetary MES scholarship including:
- Working with KSU to actively recruit candidates for current positions and internship opportunities across Bulleit distillery sites, including the new Diageo Lebanon, Kentucky distillery, which is expected to be carbon neutral once operational later this year.
- Educational and enriching immersive experiences hosted by Bulleit for KSU MES graduate students and faculty of legal drinking age throughout the year including in-depth distillery tours, on-site research opportunities, lunch and learns, guest speakers and more.
- Various community activations including alumni events, and a fall campus clean up along M.L.K. Jr. Blvd in Frankfort, Kentucky in partnership with KSU and Keep America Beautiful as part of the larger Diageo Community Improvement Grant Program.
This year Diageo North America joined the Congressional HBCUs Partnership Challenge to advocate for positive policies and share best practices for partnering with the Caucus, other organizations and these higher education institutions.
In October, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey teamed up with American Forests to plant one million trees over the next five years. The Diageo-owned Whiskey brand and the United States’ oldest national nonprofit conservation organization’s new partnership is part of the Bulleit Frontier Fund, which reaffirms the brand’s long-standing commitment to a more sustainable future for the bartending and hospitality industry, and the communities surrounding it.
