CIRCA is pleased to announce the results of the first round of grants under the Climate & Equity Grant Program. CIRCA and CT DEEP partnered on this grant program in response to recommendation number one from the Governor’s Council on Climate Change Recommendations Report in January 2021, to provide funding to support community-based organizations aligned with environmental justice, climate change adaptation, and mitigation work across the state.

Six community-based organizations have been selected to receive grants for projects that will increase the capacity of vulnerable communities in New Haven, Hartford, Norwalk, and Waterbury to mitigate, plan for, and respond to climate change. These grantees were selected from a large pool of competitive applicants based on criteria including the degree to which the project is community-driven, the relevance of the project to Connecticut’s climate goals, the clarity and feasibility of the project work plan, and the potential of the project to directly lead to a lasting increase in the capacity of vulnerable communities to respond to climate change and its impacts. The six grantees and projects are listed below:

• Center for Latino Progress (Hartford): Funding for the BiCi Co. Plan for Active Travel and Health (BiCi PATH) project to provide free, refurbished shop-quality bicycles to increase carbon-neutral mobility in the Frog Hollow, Parkville, and South Hartford communities, accompanied by an air monitoring program for community education. ($50,000)

 

• Clean Water Fund (Waterbury): Funding for a local outreach coordinator to increase access to energy efficiency programs for Waterbury residents, in collaboration with the Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury and I Heart My Home. ($50,000)

 

• Colt Park Foundation (Hartford): Funding to plant drought-resistant trees in Colt Park to mitigate the urban heat island effect experienced by the Barry Square Neighborhood and the CSS/CON Neighborhood Revitalization Zone. ($6,000)

 

• New Haven Leon Sister City Project (New Haven): Funding for youth participation in climate action planning for New Haven public schools, accompanied by a summer public art project. ($8,960)

 

• Nonprofit Accountability Group (Hartford): Funding for an environmental justice community organizer to facilitate monthly engagement events, listening sessions, and letter-writing, ultimately leading to the creation of a community climate plan for the City of Hartford with particular attention to addressing racial disparities currently present in environmental justice movements. ($50,000)

 

• Pollinator Pathway (Norwalk): Funding for shrub and tree planting, in collaboration with the Stepping Stones Museum for Children’s youth enrichment program, to increase the urban tree canopy in the South Norwalk/Norwalk Center area. ($10,000)

Funding for this grant program comes from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

To learn more about the Climate & Equity Grant Program, visit https://circa.uconn.edu/environmental-justice/climate-and-equity-grant-program/ To learn more about CIRCA, visit http://circa.uconn.edu

For more information contact: Mary Buchanan, mary.buchanan@uconn.edu

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