The HLC provides scholarship opportunities to underrepresented communities around Chicago.
Argonne tackles some of the most challenging problems related to energy and homeland security and employs the best and brightest scientists from around the world. Unfortunately, certain ethnic populations are under-represented at all leading research institutions in the U.S., essentially eliminating the scientific innovation potential within an entire ethnic group. The Hispanic population is one of these groups. Therefore, as part of our community outreach, the Argonne Hispanic/Latino Club (HLC) Employee Resource Group (ERG) has adopted as its mission to promote careers in science to our Hispanic neighbors.
We have partnered with Chicagoland school districts that have vibrant Hispanic populations and their local businesses to institute need-based scholarships for their brightest, young students and wish to support them as they develop their careers. We have distributed more than $40,000 in scholarships to almost 100 brilliant students ranging in age from incoming high school freshmen to graduate students in STEM programs at universities around the country. Our hope is that one of these young students will be the next great innovator at Argonne!
| Year | Scholarship Fund | Amount Given |
| 2011 | University of Illinois HLC Scholar | $9,000 |
| 2011 | Hispanic Heritage Organization scholarship program | $3,000 |
| 2012 | ACERO Charter School & Argonne HLC Opportunity Scholar | $15,000 |
| 2014 | Argonne HLC Joliet Junior High Scholars | $4,800 |
| 2014 | Argonne HLC STEM Scholars of Joliet | $9,000 |
