Today we’d like to introduce you to Ebony Hood
Hi Ebony, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Founded to advance equity in the outdoors, Syatt has fostered youth leadership, environmental justice, and community engagement in Cleveland. Our mission is to create transformative experiences that empower historically underrepresented communities to access, enjoy, and advocate for environmental and civic opportunities.
We achieve this through immersive learning, workforce development, and advocacy, ensuring that local youth and families have the tools to shape sustainable, resilient communities. The story goes, “While Marcia Hood, a Cleveland native, was viewing the Winter Olympics in her home, she quickly became both intrigued and disappointed in the lack of racial diversity she saw on the television screen. She thought, “I’d like to see some chocolate coming down those slopes.”
Soon after, in 2009, in partnership with her two adult daughters, Ebony and Erika Hood, the trio founded See You At The Top, now Syatt, to expose Black and Brown children and their families to the natural environment through outdoor experiences and sporting activities.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any “trail” worth hiking, the path hasn’t always been smooth, but every challenge has strengthened our mission and deepened our impact. In the early days, Syatt was often miscategorized as “entertainment” rather than the transformational, driven work that it is. Because we were out in the field, actively doing the work rather than centering our time around self-promotion, some questioned whether we were a “real organization.” But the real impact doesn’t always fit inside traditional boxes—and we knew that access to nature, outdoor sports, and environmental advocacy were essential for community health, not just recreation.
One of our biggest hurdles has been securing funding for work that is groundbreaking yet deeply necessary. The spaces we operate in both outdoors and within the broader landscape of outdoor education and recreation—weren’t always designed with organizations like ours in mind. We’ve had to carve our own path, proving the value of our work and demonstrating how access to nature, adventure, and environmental experiences can transform lives. We’ve had to prove, time and again, the worthiness of our community’s access to nature despite its benefits for mental health, youth development, and leadership. Watching others attempt to dictate who gets to lead in this space could have been discouraging, but instead, it fueled us.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My Biology/sustainability and education background has allowed me to merge STEM learning with outdoor exploration. I specialize in creating programs that make science hands-on, immersive, and deeply connected to real-world experiences. We ensure that young people don’t just explore nature, they understand it, engage with it, and see pathways for their future in it. More than that, we help them build confidence, critical thinking skills, and a sense of belonging in spaces where our presence has historically been limited. By blending programming with a purpose, education, and leadership development, we empower youth to see themselves as not just participants but as future scientists, environmental advocates, and decision-makers shaping the world around them.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is creating opportunities for people, especially youth, to see themselves as capable, valuable, and connected to the world around them. Whether through science, outdoor exploration, or leadership development, I am driven by the belief that access and exposure can transform lives.
Growing up, I was naturally curious about how things worked—the ecosystems in our environment, the science behind everyday life, and how people interact with nature. That curiosity led me to study biology and sustainability. It later helped build Syatt into what it is today, where I get to merge my love for science, education, and the outdoors to help others discover their own strengths.
But beyond knowledge, what really fuels me is the impact: seeing a student step into a leadership role for the first time, watching a young person gain confidence in an environment they once found intimidating, or helping families develop a new relationship with nature. These moments are powerful because they create a lasting shift in how people see themselves and their place in the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://syattcle.org/
- Instagram: syatt_cle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SYATTCLE
- Twitter: @syattCLE
