EPA REGION 2 Recipient: West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WE ACT) Applicant Type: Not for Profit Award Amount: $10,000,000 Title: WE ACT Technical Assistance Collaborative Location: EPA Region 2 (NJ, NY, and 8 federally recognized Indian Nations) Partners:
New York University School of Law Institute for Policy Integrity (academic) Inter American University of Puerto Rico (in-kind academic partner) Columbia University Climate School (academic) Environmental Protection Network (nonprofit, technical assistance) Clean Energy Group (nonprofit, technical assistance) New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (nonprofit, environmental justice) South Ward Environmental Alliance (nonprofit, environmental justice) Goals and Description:
WE ACT for Environmental Justice will lead and host an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center for EPA Region 2 – the WE ACT Technical Assistance Collaborative – serving underserved, rural and remote communities within the area of service that includes New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and eight Indian Nations.
WE ACT is uniquely suited to serve as the EJ TCTAC lead because of their long history of engagement with decisionmakers and stakeholders to address local environmental justice issues, and because of their own experience in building organizational capacity, from an unfunded volunteer organization to a nationally leading EJ organization with 30 staff and two offices, in Harlem (NYC) and Washington, DC.
The WE ACT Technical Assistance Collaborative brings together academic partners with climate, policy, regulatory, and decisionmaker engagement expertise; outreach partners from across the region, with an emphasis on reaching rural and remote communities; and energy justice technical and funding expertise. Central features of the approach and design of the center include: A Steering Committee , comprising all the partners listed, along with additional community-based partners and technical assistance providers as deemed appropriate during the development and life of the TCTAC.
The Steering Committee will play a key role in program design, on evaluation and the incorporation of feedback, and ensuring that TA services and TA delivery are appropriate for the target constituencies. An outreach network , with locally based outreach partners, that extends throughout EPA Region 2, reaching underserved and rural/remote communities. including trainings, the call center, and the referral network. The outreach network will also play a key role in incorporating community feedback, including through the initial Needs Assessment and annual evaluations as well as ongoing input to improve services and delivery to meet the needs of target communities.
An EJ TCTAC call center , staffed by WE ACT, that can provide advice on grant writing and fundraising, and connect participants to a rich referral network that includes WE ACT staff specializing in Policy, Civic Engagement, and Environmental Health. A referral network , to enhance the volume and breadth of services provided by the TCTAC.