Rooted in Restoration. Rising in Leadership.
Congratulations, Green Gateways HBCU Program!
Last month, BlackOak Collective’s Green Gateways Program placed Silver in the 5th Annual Anthem Awards! We take pride in expanding students’ understanding of the climate workforce, showcasing why more Black professionals are urgently needed, the emerging skills and innovations shaping the sector, the growing job and leadership opportunities, and the systems-level impact they can make in their communities and the world. We appreciate the Anthem Awards competition for allowing us to showcase our partnership work with HBCUs in the DMV region on a national platform.
What is BlackOak’s Green Gateways Program? A core part of our work is reaching students who are curious or haven’t considered an environmental career in their future. This year, our Green Gateways programming included classroom visits, job fair engagements, career panels, and one-on-one green skills coaching. We visited campuses across the region, meeting incredible student leaders and emerging environmental advocates who are excited to shape a more sustainable future.
Want to partner with us on GG? In 2026, we’re seeking to expand our reach across HBCUs and K–12 spaces in the DMV area. If you have a contact who would benefit from a visit, we invite you to share it through our Green Gateways Partner Interest Form.
BlackOak Member Impact in 2025
BlackOak Collective continues to expand its reach and impact in 2025 through providing direct and tailored services to our 650+ membership network of Black environmental professionals, students, and creatives, driving change across the country.
This year, we helped members:
- Explore career opportunities with a variety of non-profit, government and private partners through Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Climate Corps Program.
- Secure fellowship placements through the Virginia Conservation Network’s Environmental Leadership Fellowship, advancing careers in conservation, clean energy, and environmental justice.
- Engage in thought leadership and partnership across our network through our Career Pathways and employer partner co-hosted events.
- Strengthen their applications and job search strategies with over 100 hours of career coaching office hours, including resume review, interview prep, and job search strategy.
- Identify and apply to opportunities directly through our Budding Opportunities jobs board and customized 1:1 coaching services offered weekly as office hours.
More than building a community, we are mobilizing Black professionals into environmental roles where they can thrive, influence policy, and shape a more sustainable future.
We hosted 16 events this year with over 800 total attendees, bringing together professionals, students, and partners through collaborative events. Highlights included:
- BlackOak x Doris Duke Foundation: Black Climate Career Summit
- Uniforms for the Unwritten Future: A Climate Conscious Afrofuturist Fashion Experience
- BlackOak x VA Conservation Network: Black in Green Exploring Conservation Careers
- BlackOak x Primergy Solar: Wired for Impact Building Careers in Energy & Innovation
- BlackOak x Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay: HBCU MSI Chesapeake Bay Summit
Member Spotlight:
Darren Hays II | From Rural Roots to Environmental Justice Leadership
Darren grew up in Brunswick County, Virginia, a small rural, majority-Black community with one stoplight, deep agricultural roots, and longstanding gaps in basic services like healthcare and broadband. In 2019, a study revealed that Brunswick had some of the highest colorectal cancer rates in the country. With most residents relying on well water, that data sharpened his awareness of how agricultural practices, water quality, and public health were deeply intertwined in his hometown.
He began his career in politics, staffing a state delegate, serving under a historic congressman, and leading statewide advocacy, before running for and winning a seat on his local Soil and Water Conservation District Board by just 100 votes. In that role, he now helps farmers access conservation tools, cost-share programs, and emerging technologies that protect soil and water without pitting agriculture against environmental goals. “Farmers care about sustainability,” he says. “Our job is to give them options that protect our natural resources and our communities.”
Darren first connected with BlackOak Collective through Wes Gobar, Co-Founder and former Executive Director, a longtime colleague from his early days in Virginia politics, and later joined BlackOak at a mixer in Richmond and spoke as a BlackOak speaker at the HBCU MSI Climate Leadership Summit. “The Summit was incredible,” he shared. “BlackOak opened doors to opportunities I didn’t even know existed, and reminded me there are so many other people fighting for the same things.”
Today, Darren serves as Director of Government Relations at a Virginia Political Consulting firm, working across agriculture, water, and energy policy, while continuing to serve on the Soil and Water Board through 2027. Looking ahead, he’s exploring the intersections of clean energy, emerging technologies, and environmental justice, and considering a run for higher office to keep advocating for rural communities like his own.
Your investment in BlackOak helps leaders like Darren stay connected, supported, and equipped to drive environmental justice from the local level up.
Thank you to our partners and supporters!
This year, BlackOak Collective continued our partnerships with employer and organizational partners that have worked with us to place Black professionals into the green jobs sector across the spectrum of professional experience. Our work and impact would not be possible without the support of so many who share our vision for an equitable workforce for our collective environmental future. We look forward to continuing this important work together in 2026!
- Alliance for Chesapeake Bay
- Black Girl Environment
- Black Hive / M4BL
- Black In Environmental
- The Center for Cultural Power
- Chesapeake Bay Trust
- Crying in D.C.
- Environmental Defense Fund
- Girl Plus Environment
- Green 2.0
- Hip Hop Caucus
- Howard University
- Marketplace of the Future
- Primergy Solar
- Summit Ridge Energy
- University of the District of Columbia (UDC)
- Virginia Conservation Network
Ways to Get Involved in 2026
Post upcoming employment opportunities on our jobs board. Are you hiring sometime soon? Don’t forget to share open opportunities with us so we can advertise them on our Budding Opportunities Jobs Board! Our jobs board reaches over 650+ Blackoak members, and is advertised on our social media channels and through the newsletter. You can send the job opportunity to our team directly at [email protected].
Partner with us! If you are interested in partnering on an upcoming event or program series with BlackOak, you can view our paid partnership opportunities here. We’re looking for partners for the following upcoming events and program series:
- Program Sponsorship Opportunities
- Green Gateways: Support connecting HBCU students with internships, fellowships, and potential employers in the green jobs ecosystem.
- Career Pathways: Enable BlackOak members to access open houses with employers, 1:1 coaching and career connections, attend conferences, and build their networks.
- Event Sponsorship Opportunities
- BlackOak Skill Building Bootcamp at Washington D.C. Climate Week
- Community, Belonging, and Wellness Event Series (year round)
- Anniversary Event and Employer Showcase (September 2026)
Reach out to our Partnerships Director, Semi Cole – [email protected] or Executive Director, Michelle Hughes – [email protected] for more details on all things BlackOak!
