Southface Institute has officially completed the BIT for Resilient HBCUs Kickoff Series, marking the launch of this year’s program across five Historically Black Colleges and Universities: The Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Morgan State University.
Over the past several weeks, Southface and program partners traveled to each campus to welcome student fellows, strengthen institutional partnerships, and activate a new cohort of sustainability champions focused on advancing environmental justice and resilient campus operations.
Why We Launched the Series
The BIT for Resilient HBCUs Program equips students with hands-on experience in sustainable operations and maintenance, indoor air quality, energy, water, waste, and storytelling. HBCUs have long been leaders in environmental justice, public health, and community resilience. This program builds on that legacy by creating structured, applied learning pathways that allow students to lead climate and sustainability solutions within their own campus ecosystems.
The kickoff series was designed to:
- Align with campus leadership, faculty, and facilities teams
- Reinforce partnerships with technical and funding partners
- Equip fellows with Champion Toolkits and an applied implementation framework
- Ground the work in environmental justice and community impact
Across all five campuses, fellows were introduced to subject matter experts and program partners who will mentor them throughout the semester.
Program Partners
This work is made possible through strong collaboration.
Sustain Our Future Foundation serves as the program’s primary sponsor and co-developer, supporting regenerative community initiatives and ensuring HBCU students have a meaningful role in shaping sustainability solutions.
Environmental Defense Fund joins as the Exclusive IAQ Best Practice Sponsor, supporting indoor air quality advancement and green workforce pathways.
WSP brings expertise in campus and community climate-action planning, helping translate student findings into actionable strategies.
Together, these partnerships create a bridge between student learning, technical expertise, and real-world implementation.
What Are Fellows Doing Now
With the kickoff series complete, the program has moved into active implementation.
Student fellows are currently on their campuses using their Champion Toolkits to identify opportunities and challenges related to sustainable operations and maintenance. Their campuses are serving as learning labs where they are:
- Conducting observational assessments of building systems
- Identifying operational inefficiencies
- Evaluating energy, water, waste practices
- Documenting indoor air quality considerations
- Engaging facilities teams and campus stakeholders
This hands-on approach builds technical competency while advancing tangible sustainability improvements. Fellows are not only learning best practices, they are applying them in real time within the institutions that serve their communities.
Kickoff Series Recaps
For more detailed information, see below.
Xavier University of Louisiana
Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern
Looking Ahead
The BIT for Resilient HBCUs Program is now fully underway across all five campuses. As fellows continue assessments, trainings, and early-stage implementation work, we look forward to sharing progress updates throughout the semester.
This kickoff series marked more than the start of a program cycle. It represents an investment in the next generation of environmental justice leaders and campus sustainability practitioners who are actively strengthening resilient, equitable institutions from within.
Stay tuned for continued updates as the fellows turn insight into action here.
