Inroads, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Uncf to Impact the Future of Sustainability Through Hbcu Initiative

INROADS, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and UNCF (United Negro College Fund) formed a historic partnership with the Southern Company Foundation to prepare students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to become successful business and community leaders committed to upholding the tenets of sustainability. The new initiative officially launches Oct. 4, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. ET, through a virtual event designed to inform universities, students and employers about program opportunities.

The HBCU Sustainable Communities Initiative (HBCU SCI) seeks to equip HBCU talent with support, resources and knowledge to ensure underrepresented communities are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. The initiative encompasses three core areas of impact:

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• Students: Scholarships, paid internships and experiential learning opportunities including the Sustainability and Social Justice Series
• Universities: Endowed professorship grants to scale or start academic programs in sustainability fields
• Employers: Mentoring and internship programs that develop diverse talent pipelines and the next generation of sustainability leaders.

Oct. 4 also marks the launch of a Sustainability Professorship grant application process, funded by the Southern Company Foundation for eligible HBCUs, a signature component of the initiative. The Sustainability Professorship expands the capacity of select HBCUs to develop and strengthen program offerings in sustainability studies and related fields. The HBCUs selected through the grant process must raise $500,000 to match a $500,000 grant to establish $1 million endowments at each institution. Endowed professorship grant applications are due Dec.5, 2022.

The official launch highlights early successes of the program. To date, 75 students have been awarded approximately $750,000 in two-year scholarships, and 35 students have been placed in sustainability-focused internship roles with six different employers for fall 2022.

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“As part of the HBCU SCI program, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the Sustainability and Social Justice Training Series and become an intern at the National Parks Conservation Association,” said Lawrence Omodele, computer information systems major and sophomore at Alabama State University. “I’ve learned a lot about sustainability and how it can make a positive difference in business and in my community. I’m now really interested in using sustainable practices in my own entrepreneurial endeavor, a carwash service I own and run, in addition to being a student.”

During the Oct. 4 launch event, attendees will receive an overview of the initiative, and informational breakout sessions will be hosted for student program participants and for HBCUs interested in the Sustainability Professorship grants.

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