What happens when we stop asking students to simply learn about sustainability and start giving them the tools to lead it?

That was the question at the heart of our time at @uncf UNITE 2026. During our breakout session, Activating UNCF’s Climate Action Blueprint: A National HBCU Model, Southface’s Stephen Ward was joined by Aeiress Stancil, Spelman College student and Storyteller Champion, and Iesha Baldwin, Spelman’s Sustainability Coordinator, to share what we’re learning through BIT for Resilient HBCUs. And one message came through loud and clear: Students are ready to lead. Across five HBCUs, student Fellows are investigating energy, water, waste, indoor air quality, and storytelling—using real tools to better understand the buildings and systems they interact with every day. Together, they've already identified 150+ opportunities to improve building performance, resource efficiency, and the experiences of the people inside them. Because buildings don't save energy. People do. And when students are given the tools, trust, and opportunity to contribute, sustainability becomes more than something they learn about. It becomes something they can lead. We left UNITE with one big question: What becomes possible when students across every HBCU are empowered not just to learn about climate solutions, but to lead them on their own campuses through their everyday actions? We’re excited to keep finding out. #UNITE2026 #HBCUs #StudentLeadership #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Southface #BITforResilientHBCUs @uncfatlanta @uncfxicb