HBCUs are set to play a bigger role in the fight against climate change thanks to a new pilot program that blends funding, training, and hands-on experience.

Atlanta-based Southface Institute, in partnership with the Sustain Our Future Foundation (SOFF), has launched Building Improvement Toolkits (BIT) for Resilient HBCUs, a program designed to strengthen sustainability efforts at five Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports.

The program, per the outlet, provides a variety of resources to help schools address climate change on campus and in surrounding communities. That includes technical support, $150,000 in grant funding per school, and the creation of student fellowships focused on sustainability.

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, each participating HBCU will host 25 paid student fellows who will conduct building audits and recommend ways to conserve energy, water, and waste. The program also incorporates training and credentialing to prepare students for careers in the clean energy and sustainability sectors.

A new online platform will serve as a central hub, tracking performance data, providing resources, and offering technical guidance. By analyzing utility consumption, the tool will help schools identify efficiency opportunities and measure progress toward their sustainability goals.

Reed Walker, program coordinator for Southface Institute, said the effort focuses on an often-overlooked part of sustainability in building: long-term operations and maintenance. “That’s the longest part of the lifecycle but the most neglected,” Walker told Atlanta Business Chronicle.

The initiative builds on findings from a 2024 report by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). The report found that while 40% of HBCUs surveyed rated climate and sustainability initiatives as extremely or very important, only 15% had specific budgets to support them.

“As the climate crisis intensifies, it not only brings unprecedented global threats, but also provides openings for progress,” UNCF President and CEO Michael Lomax wrote in the report. “There is no doubt HBCUs have a pivotal role to play in rising to meet this moment. With deep community ties and their fingers on the pulse of society’s most vulnerable and excluded populations, HBCUs are uniquely positioned to lead the charge toward climate justice and environmental resilience.”

Lomax added, “Equipped with interdisciplinary knowledge and influenced by diverse lived experiences, the students and faculty of HBCUs can pioneer solutions that overcome systemic inequities exacerbated by climate change.”

Founded in 1978, Southface Institute began as a solar energy advocacy group before expanding its mission to sustainable building practices, according to its website. With headquarters in Atlanta and an office in Sarasota, FL, per the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the nonprofit says this latest initiative continues its goal of building energy independence and equity.

“By tapping into the energy, passion and ingenuity of HBCU students, we’re not just advancing sustainability on these campuses today, we’re building a pipeline of future leaders who will drive this mission forward for generations,” Stephen Ward, BIT program manager at Southface Institute, said in a statement.

SOFF, based in Washington, DC, is supporting the initiative through community benefit grants aimed at revitalizing under-resourced communities with climate-focused infrastructure projects, as the Atlanta Business Chronicle states.

“HBCUs, as longstanding centers of knowledge, advocacy and service, are natural partners in this work. Yet many face gaps in resources and capacity,” SOFF founder and CEO Yinka N. Bode-George told the outlet. “This initiative strengthens their ability to lead sustainability efforts that benefit both their campuses and the surrounding communities.”

The five HBCUs set to join the program will be announced soon.