United Negro College Fund Hosts First Building Green Learning Institute In Atlanta

HBCUs, other MSIs Work to Overcome Barriers to Building Green

FAIRFAX, Va. -UNCF–the United Negro College Fund–the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, is hosting its first Building Green Learning Institute on April 8-10 at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center at 800 Spring Street in Atlanta, Ga. More than 100 campus leaders from two-and four-year minority-serving colleges and universities, along with the nation’s top green-building and sustainability experts will participate in the conference. The Learning Institute is a project of UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building, which helps UNCF member colleges become stronger and more self-sustaining.

“Climate change is a global issue and a national issue. And that makes it a challenge for every institution in the country,” said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D. UNCF president and CEO. “Because just as environmental sustainability is key to our national economic health and vitality, so it is a critical part of the economic sustainability of the institutions within the economy, and that definitely includes our member colleges and universities. Educating good citizens, and being good institutional citizens, has always been part of the DNA of HBCUs and other MSIs. And building green is very much part of that tradition.”

The UNCF Building Green Learning Institute will provide best practices, resources and technology solutions for greening campuses to campus leaders responsible for advancing sustainability and green building at minority-serving institutions (MSIs): historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and tribal colleges. Experts in sustainable design, building and finance will share effective strategies for greening the campus infrastructure.

Dr. Anthony Cortese, president of Second Nature, UNCF’s thought-partner on the Building Green initiative, will give the opening keynote address, focusing on sustainability in higher education. Dr. Carlton Brown, president of UNCF member institution Clark Atlanta University, will serve as the luncheon speaker and will discuss Leadership for Sustainability. Majora Carter, president of the Majora Carter Group, will deliver the dinner keynote address, “Green the Ghetto.”

In November, 2009, the Kresge Foundation donated $1.8 million to support UNCF’s Building Green at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) Initiative, the inaugural project of the UNCF Institute for Capacity Building’s Facilities and Infrastructure Enhancement Program. In addition to providing MSIs with information and resources to develop capacity for campus-sustainability projects, this initiative aims to accomplish two major goals: to increase the number of buildings and structures on MSI campuses that register for and achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification, and to increase the number of MSIs that are signatories of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.

Additional inaugural Building Green Learning Institutes will be held May 6-8 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and in San Antonio, Texas June 10-12. For more information, contact Felicia Davis, Program Director, Facilities and Infrastructure Enhancement Program for UNCF Institute for Capacity Building at 404-302-8607.

About UNCF

UNCF—the 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, strengthens its 39 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 18 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. 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 900 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."® Learn more at www.UNCF.org

Institute for Capacity Building

The purpose of UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building (ICB), the UNCF unit that is offering the Building Green at MSIs Initiative, is to strengthen the overall capacity of its 39 member private historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). ICB was launched in 2006 with the purpose of developing higher admission, retention and graduation rates, effective fundraising and fiscal management operations and opportunities for innovative teaching and learning across its network of colleges and universities. The work of ICB is focused in six programmatic areas critical to the mission of any institution of higher learning: enrollment and retention, fundraising, academic programming and faculty development, financial management, executive leadership and governance and campus facilities.

Joye Griffin

UNCF

703-205-3480

Joye.Griffin@uncf.org