Empowering Young Professionals of Color through Mentorship and Professional Development
Many communities in the Mid-Atlantic region are facing conservation challenges, the impacts of climate change, and long-standing disinvestment in water infrastructure. To address the array of clean water challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay, the non-profits that comprise the Choose Clean Water Coalition can best serve these communities when their staff reflects the diversity of the region. The Coalition’s Young Professionals of Color program seeks to close the racial diversity gap through mentorship and professional development.
For the Coalition to achieve its water quality goals, the Chesapeake Bay restoration community needs to authentically serve the needs of all 18 million people who call the watershed home. Overcoming the institutional barriers that prevent environmental advocates from marginalized communities is a prime goal for the Coalition—and requires environmental organizations to take a reflective and critical look in the mirror to assess shortcomings.