Innovative partnership offers students from under-represented backgrounds career-building and educational opportunities

As part of a continued effort to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the Marketplaces Industry, today, the ICSC Foundation announced a partnership with Project Destined, a social impact platform that provides under-represented students with training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and real estate. Through the partnership, the ICSC Foundation and Project Destined launched a Retail Real Estate Bridge Program, offering diverse undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in a hands-on learning program to gain a deeper understanding of a career in retail real estate.

Participants will learn about fundamental retail real estate topics like dealmaking, market strategy and more through an eight-week custom virtual curriculum, integrating ICSC’s forward-thinking educational and content programming with Project Destined’s proven instructional strategy. Industry leaders from ICSC’s member organizations will speak to students during weekly moderated executive speaker sessions and Q&As. Students will also receive a $500 stipend and a site visit to a sponsor company property. In addition, ICSC will offer students complimentary student memberships, including access to proprietary industry research, professional development opportunities, complimentary registration to one ICSC conference for educational and networking opportunities, and other benefits to facilitate students’ professional development.

“ICSC is committed to building and sustaining an industry of professionals who reflect the communities we serve, and our partnership with Project Destined will provide under-represented students the opportunity to gain the skills, resources and network needed to build a lasting career in the Marketplaces Industry,” said Tom McGee, President and CEO of ICSC. “ICSC member organizations will be able to closely mentor a diverse group of talent and offer them a thorough experience and training in the industry. We’re excited to facilitate these innovative relationships between students and organizations to elevate diversity in the next generation of leaders in the Marketplaces Industry.”

"We are extremely excited to partner with ICSC to launch our inaugural Retail Real Estate Bridge Program," said Cedric Bobo, Founder of Project Destined. "The retail sector provides incredible opportunities for students to build a great career and impact their community. Our partnership with ICSC and its member companies will help ensure that these students have the training, network and resources to take on that opportunity."

ICSC’s and Project Destined’s Retail Real Estate Bridge Program pilot will begin in September 2023 and run for eight weeks. The curriculum will be composed of virtual 60-minute sessions on topics like Retail Real Estate 101: Market Strategy and Career Opportunities: Transactions, including panel discussions led by real estate executives and leaders from ICSC member companies. Students who have completed Project Destined’s introductory commercial real estate program will be eligible to apply for the Retail Real Estate Bridge Program.

Building a more inclusive Marketplaces Industry is one of ICSC’s strategic priorities. In 2021, ICSC announced the Launch Academy, a program designed to recruit and prepare racially diverse undergraduate students for a career in the industry. Since then, ICSC has supported 70 students through the Launch Academy, offering them paid internships, mentorship opportunities, industry training and education to help prepare them for a career in the Marketplaces Industry. The Launch Academy will continue to partner with ICSC member companies to offer summer internship opportunities for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) undergraduate students.

To learn more about ICSC’s Retail Real Estate Bridge Program, click here.

About ICSC

The member organization for industry advancement, ICSC promotes and elevates the marketplaces and spaces where people shop, dine, work, play and gather as foundational and vital ingredients of communities and economies. ICSC produces experiences that create connections and catalyze deals; aggressively advocates to shape public policy; develops high-impact marketing and public relations that influence opinion; provides an enduring platform for professional success; and creates forward-thinking content with actionable insights – all of which drive industry innovation and growth. For more information, please visit www.ICSC.com.

About Project Destined

Project Destined is a leading social impact platform that provides training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and real estate. Project Destined partners with corporations, schools, and non-profits to deliver training using its proprietary e-learning platform and live courses. Project Destined leverages a work-based learning approach where students work with executives to evaluate live deals in their community and present them in a pitch competition to industry leaders. Scholars emerge with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks that prepare them to secure a strong first job and become stakeholders in their community. For more information, please visit projectdestined.com.

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