FAQs
- To make a donation by check to the CT Brewers Guild African American Brewing Scholarship, please make payable to Sacred Heart University and mail to 5151 Park Ave Fairfield, CT 06825.
- For more information about the scholarship, please contact University Advancement at give@sacredheart.edu or 203-365-7671.
About Sacred Heart University's Brewing Science Program
SHU’s brewing science certificate program launched in May 2020. It is the only brewing science program in Connecticut and the closest program of its kind to New York City. The 11-month, 22-credit brewing science certificate program uses a hybrid online and on-site course selection to broadly cover relevant brewing topics rooted in brewing science, including: scientific brewing theory, ingredient science and recipe design, beer styles, sensory analysis science, brewery operations and practical professional equipment use, sanitation and safety, quality control & quality assurance, brewery management and brewing law and legal compliance. Sacred Heart’s instructors are brewing professionals, many brewery owners, in charge of hiring and managing brewers, so they are perfectly situated to prepare students for employment or to advance their brewing careers. SHU’s brewing science laboratory is located at Two Roads Brewing Company’s Area Two Experimental Brewery, where students get maximal hands-on experience working in small groups on professional small-scale equipment.
CT Brewers Guild African American Brewing Scholarship
A Need for Diversity in Brewing
The craft beer industry in the United States is a major economic driver representing $83 billion dollars and well over half a million jobs, yet there are less than 5% people of color represented within its ranks. Craft beer is an enormous sector of the American economy and intrinsic to its culture. It is crucial that we collectively do better in helping the industry reflect the actual diversity within American society.
About the Scholarship & Partnership
The Connecticut Brewers Guild African American Brewing Scholarship was established in 2020 to continue the diversity, inclusion and collaborative fundraising efforts of Sacred Heart University, New England Brewing Co., the Connecticut Brewers Guild and the rapidly expanding number of breweries across Connecticut that now number nearly 120. The goal of this new scholarship is to broaden the demographic and culture of the craft beer industry in the state and beyond.
This scholarship will advance equity for African Americans and give people of color an opportunity to enter the craft brewing industry with strong training and the skill sets necessary to become successful employees. The brewing science certificate program at SHU gives students an outstanding education in brewing and provides essential hands-on experience. As part of this scholarship, the selected recipients will receive an internship at New England Brewing Co. following completion of the program.
Beer is unique; it can bring people together from different walks of life. The more we can diversify the industry, the better off the industry will be. Expanding the demographics of who is making beer improves the brewing industry immeasurably. It means more opportunities for different types of people to find common ground. It means more opportunities for the channels that sell beer to sell more beer. It means more breweries, more jobs, and an even bigger economic and social impact.
Most importantly, this scholarship will open doors for burgeoning African American brewers and ensure that this industry does a better job of welcoming all types of people into the ranks of its well-respected professional class.
About the CT Brewers Guild
The Connecticut Brewers Guild was founded in June 2012 to promote the interests of the fledgling craft beer scene in Connecticut. As of November 2020, Connecticut beer scene boasts 116 operational breweries, with many more in planning. The goal of this guild is to further promote our local breweries, move forward on guild member initiatives that foster profitability, and increase public awareness of all in-state breweries and legislative actions.