The agreement provides financial assistance to the woonasquatucket river watershed council to conduct environmental and community engagement activities in providence, RI as a part of the southeast new…

This $400,000 Cooperative Agreement awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 under the Geographic Programs - Southeast New England Coastal Watershed Restoration Program (CFDA 66.129) provides financial assistance to the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) to conduct environmental and community engagement activities in Providence, RI.

The key products and services to be delivered include: 1) A 10-month "Nuevas Voces" resident-to-resident training program primarily in Spanish, which includes content-driven learning sessions and outdoor activities; 2) A 2-year "Campeones de Combate Climático" technical training program to design and build nature-based watershed resilience projects; and 3) Workforce certification trainings, a resilience hub, and widespread resident engagement to build local capacity for climate resilience and environmental justice planning. The project aims to expand targeted outreach, build career pipelines, and enable communities to implement sustainable, nature-based solutions to protect vulnerable infrastructure.

The agreement provides financial assistance to the woonasquatucket river watershed council to conduct environmental and community engagement activities in providence, RI as a part of the southeast new england program (snep) opportunity to advance resilience (soar) as outlined in their application. This award will invest in high impact training programs, to expand targeted outreach and engagement, build strategic pipelines from restoration and resilience programs, sites, and activities into high wage jobs and careers. The project will deliver the nuevas voces and campeones DE combate climaacute; tico (climate champions) programs for new cohorts, for two new partner-led workforce certification trainings, and for widespread resident-to-resident engagement through door knocking, tabling, flyering and whatsapp toward broad participation in the community and partner programs and pipelines through the OV hub. Together, these help build local capacity to lead, catalyze and activate climate resiliency while expanding roles in neighborhood, local and regional climate justice and resilience planning, collaborative problem solving and preparedness efforts.activities:nuevas voces program: 10-month resident-to-resident cohort training delivered primarily in spanish. Two sessions per month include one indoor content-driven learning/research session and one outdoor activity like a toxics tour or fish count. Complemented by speakers program that brings new opportunities, ideas and resources to emerging leaders. Campeones DE combate clmaacute; tico: 2 - year training to design and build out nature-based watershed resilience projects by working alongside consultants and partners to see projects through from conceptualization to design, to community input/review, installation and maintenance.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:nuevas voces (NV) is the gateway program, campeones directly engages NV grads in technical training and projects; workforce certifications and trainings are green industry aligned for all program grads and all who want to attend; and the olneyville resilience hub (OV hub) is an autonomous space for education, training, leadership, advocacy, emergency preparedness/services and collective action. Streambank restoration and stormwater capture and treatment projects in neighborhoods from problem identification to design conceptualization, public engagement and construction so they can direct/lead/catalyze new projects in neighborhoods in the coming years. This project will eliver a two-year long campeones DE combate climaacute; tico technical training program, which along with the OV hub, enables communities to support and implement resilient development that protects populated areas and vulnerable infrastructure through nature-based solutions and climate adaptation approaches. Anticipated community benefits short-term goals/outputs: - 110 target tract residents and students are directly engaged in VF programs and trainings - 450 new residents learn about local resiliency efforts and concerns through resident-to-resident engagement and invitations join programs, events, trainings, projects and speakers' program. - VF programs build the capacity of at least 50 already trained resident leaders and their organizational partners and allies over two program years to participate in and shape the revitalization of their neighborhoods. - through participation, VF graduates 3 cohorts of resident leaders, who along with partners and allies, have the skills, tools, relationships and support they need to collectively dismantle structural inequality and advance ecological survival through projects, activities and campaigns. Anticipated community benefits advance snep aligned long-term outcomes: - providence residents living in dacs, facing poverty, coping with environment/climate harms lead and benefit from multi-stakeholder colla