This $1,817,535 Project Grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CFDA 66.616) will fund the establishment of the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4) by Seven Generations Ahead.
C4 aims to support disadvantaged communities in Illinois, including Broadview, Maywood, Bellwood, Hillside, and Berwyn, by providing them access to information and resources on climate change and environmental justice issues. The project will build community capacity to engage with decision-makers, advocate for themselves, and secure additional funding opportunities. Key activities include developing a community sustainability working group program, creating climate metrics tracking tools, and implementing a Climate and Equity Leadership Lab to educate community members. C4 will also facilitate subawards to representatives from the five participating communities to support their outreach and engagement efforts. The anticipated outcomes include progress towards greenhouse gas reduction, equity and sustainability goals, workforce training, and the submission of 4-6 large-scale funding proposals on behalf of the involved communities.