About Us
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to foster thriving communities by preparing HBCU talent
for careers in sustainability.
The HBCU Sustainable Communities Initiative focuses on preparing and training future business and community leaders in the field of sustainability, preparing them to create and maintain thriving communities through design, planning, investment, and policymaking.
The Southern Company Foundation awarded $10 million in grants to fund the HBCU Sustainable Communities Initiative which prioritizes sustainability as a core component of workforce development.
Initiative Impact
The HBCU Sustainable Communities Initiative will:
- Support and equip HBCU students through scholarships, paid internships, and experiential learning opportunities in sustainability.
- Provide HBCUs with Sustainability Professorship grants, funded by the Southern Company Foundation, to scale or start academic programs in sustainability.
- Develop and foster a diverse pipeline of leaders at sustainability-focused employers.
A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP
Together, three national nonprofits are creating a more sustainable world through delivering the HBCU Sustainable Communities Initiative.
About INROADS
Founded in 1970, INROADS delivers innovative programs and creative solutions that identify, accelerate and elevate the development of underrepresented talent throughout their careers. Through this development, students become equipped for corporate and community leadership that affects community renewal and social change and elevates economic status and quality of life. INROADS has more than 30,000 alumni, and over 900 interns, and serves 4,000+ students and 200 corporate clients. Learn more at INROADS.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn at INROADSInc.
About TMCF
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities.
About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community, and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 13% of bachelor’s degrees, 5% of master’s degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees, and 24% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
Your Sustainability Questions, Answered
GENERAL
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In short, sustainability means making decisions that meet our current needs while preserving our future – especially those decisions that relate to our environment, our health, our economic well-being, and the overall livelihood of our communities. Through the Sustainability & Social Justice Series, our Scholars, and Interns can take deeper dives into this kind of discussion.
MENTORING
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The mentoring component of this initiative will pair you with a mentor, provide a schedule for structured meetings and also provide mentees with tips on how to maximize time with mentors.
INTERNSHIPS
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Scholarship recipients who are interested in internships must apply for an internship by October 31, 2022
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
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Transitioning into adulthood requires that you develop your emotional intelligence. This will help you understand the importance of responsibility and accountability. Read articles and watch webinars that focus on emotional intelligence. We also encourage you to fully participate in programs such as HBCU SCI as well as other career development and leadership development programs offered by INROADS, TMCF, and UNCF.
PROFESSORSHIP GRANT
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A number of eligible HBCUs may be located in food and health deserts, but the initiative is not exclusive to those HBCUs. All HBCUs located in the Southern Company’s geographic footprint is the targeted institutions for this initiative. The salary of a professor who is leading a solar energy project that involves students could be considered for a professorship grant, however, the grant would not support equipment or construction costs.