AkzoNobel helps to revitalise USA community

A group of young people in the USA, who are working to eradicate poverty and blight in Pontiac, Michigan, have joined forces with AkzoNobel’s Human Cities initiative in order to further revitalise the city and help make people’s lives more liveable and inspiring.

Established by a group of high school students in 2014, Leaders of the Future is a growing organisation, which has adopted a hands-on approach to reinvigorating the Pontiac area. Their work has now been recognised through a partnership with AkzoNobel, which includes the award of a US$100,000 Human Cities grant.

The funding, which underlines the company’s global commitment to improving, energising and regenerating urban communities across the world, will be made available over the next two years. Half the amount will support various sustainability-themed community projects that Leaders of the Future will activate in Pontiac and half will be used to establish a higher education scholarship fund, which will support the educational ambitions of the group’s membership.

"AkzoNobel can trace its origins in Pontiac back to 1902 and, as a company that’s proud of this heritage, we were impressed by the sustainable approach Leaders of the Future has introduced to revitalise the city”, said Johan Landfors, President of AkzoNobel North America.