Accenture UK

In summer 2005, Accenture UK was pro-actively seeking an opportunity to support the educational needs of Black and ethnic minority children in the UK. As a result, we agreed to work in partnership with the Mayor of London’s office on launching the Black History Scholar Programme (BHSP) - a brand new initiative which formed a key part of the GLA’s 2005/06 Black History Season.

The BHSP offers children from 11-15 an opportunity to learn about African and Caribbean history through a range of exciting competitions & activities. The programme was open to all schools and youth groups in London, and was designed to both encourage children and support schools to proactively & confidently studying Black history.

The programme comprised 3 competitions: Book Review, Essay writing and a Quiz Championship; with students competing for the title of Black History Scholar, an Education Scholarship Fund of up to £3,000 and a laptop computer. There were approximately 67 schools participating with 1,700 children engaged.

Members of Accenture’s African & Caribbean networks were actively involved throughout the programme:  launching the BHSP at schools, judging the book review and essay competitions and attending the grand finale – Black History Scholar Day on March 11th 2006, where the quiz took place. Winners were announced and prizes awarded. We partook in the Quiz, plus ran a ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ breakout session, with questions based around Black History and diversity.

The BHSP reflects our company vision for creating an open and inclusive culture where everyone has the opportunity and support to succeed. It encourages children to learn about the heritage and history we all share, which in turn helps in understanding and overcoming cultural barriers.