Lincoln University of Missouri Unveils New Student Innovation Lounge

On April 25, Lincoln University of Missouri unveiled the new Innovation Lounge in Schweich Hall — a project made possible by the Home Depot Retool Your School grant.

Lincoln University of Missouri unveiled a new student Innovation Lounge during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 25. The lounge, funded by a Home Depot grant, reflects Lincoln University's dedication to nurturing creativity and entrepreneurship among students.

On April 11, 2023, Lincoln University was named as one of the 10 recipients of Home Depot’s Innovation Lounge Grant at the Retool Your School Award Celebration held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. LU received $75,000 in grant funds to transform a space on campus into an Innovation Lounge for future innovators, entrepreneurs and creators.

The grant funds converted the former print shop in Schweich Hall into an Innovation Lounge where students can congregate, collaborate and ideate. Centrally located on campus and adjacent to the quad area, which houses several halls where students attend and congregate between classes, makes the Innovation Lounge easily accessible to all students. With a mix of public and private spaces, the space offers dedicated study, learning areas and meeting rooms that encourage spontaneous collaboration.

The lounge, funded by a Home Depot grant, reflects Lincoln University's dedication to nurturing creativity and entrepreneurship among students.

The Innovation Lounge offers workshops through the LU Small Business Development Center, focusing on business planning, finance, management and marketing. The workshops contribute to the development of essential skills and knowledge among students. Envisioned as a hub for students, the lounge helps students who are developing their own businesses, providing an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

The Retool Your School program's grants provide much-needed resources to HBCUs, allowing them to invest in their facilities and create an environment conducive to academic success. The Retool Your School grant program by The Home Depot aims to give back to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that have contributed so much to their communities by providing funding for campus uplift and beautification. Established in 2009, Retool Your School has invested over $9.25 million to support 227 campus improvement grants for 71 percent of the nation's HBCUs. To learn more about Retool Your School and its impact, visit RetoolYourSchool.com.