VF is strengthening its relationship with North Carolina State University with a recent donation through the VF Foundation. The gift will support under-resourced or underrepresented students at the university’s Poole College of Management through experiential learning opportunities outside of the classroom. 

“We’re proud to provide support for these important initiatives for students at Poole College that will help enhance and cultivate inclusive and safe learning opportunities,” said Reggie Miller, Senior Director of Inclusion and Diversity at VF. “VF remains committed to helping the communities in which we live and work.”

The gift will support students who have financial or other roadblocks that prevent them from extended learning opportunities, including studying abroad and attending workshops and conferences that equip students with knowledge needed to begin their careers.

Tayah Butler, Director of Diversity and Inclusion in Poole College’s Office of Undergraduate Programs, said the VF Foundation’s support opens up opportunities for all students.

“This isn’t so much about diversity as it is about equity – providing opportunities for those who would not otherwise be able to participate and making those opportunities accessible for those in marginalized communities,” Butler said.

The VF Foundation gift builds on a long-standing partnership between VF and North Carolina State’s College of Textiles and Poole College. The College of Textiles is the only college in the United States focused entirely on textiles, and Poole College offers learning in business analytics and supply chain management. Together, the colleges help advance VF’s mission of creating new apparel innovations and improving customer insights, while also serving as a resource for new talent for VF. 

VF, one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies, established the VF Foundation in 2002 for charitable, scientific and educational purposes. The Foundation supports organizations working in the arts, community services, education, families and children, health care, environmental sustainability and science.

North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, N.C., has an enrollment of more than 34,000 undergraduate and graduate students in such disciplines as business, textiles, education and natural resources management.