This EDA investment supports the board of control for southern regional education with expanding the urban agriculture market and providing a rebound to the declining employment rate presented from…

The Board of Control for Southern Regional Education received a $1.4 million project grant award from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration under the Economic Adjustment Assistance program on November 18, 2021. The funding will support expanding urban agriculture markets and providing employment opportunities in North Philadelphia following job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key deliverables include collecting data to develop a planning framework for an urban-rural agriculture model, designing pilot programs, establishing metrics to measure community competitiveness, and creating a protocol for national collaboration on post-pandemic economic recovery. The project aims to strengthen local and regional employment and business recovery efforts through promoting economic growth with inclusive agriculture and workforce development solutions.

This EDA investment supports the board of control for southern regional education with expanding the urban agriculture market and providing a rebound to the declining employment rate presented from the covid-19 pandemic in north philadelphia. The project consists of collecting data to create a planning framework, designing and testing an urban-rural agriculture model, developing baseline metrics for an inclusive competitiveness index to measure community and institutional capacity to navigate a post-covid economic landscape, and establishing a protocol for a national collaboration. Once completed, the project will help strengthen employment and business recovery efforts at the local, regional, and state levels, which will promote economic growth throughout the region.