Urban Grid’s Post

At the heart of vision of Reimagine Middle Branch lies a commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. It's a dedication to environmental justice, with equity woven into every aspect of the Plan's approach. We're not just incorporating environmental justice elements into a capital project — we're crafting an environmental justice project with capital elements, ensuring that our commitment goes beyond rhetoric and becomes a transformative force. Here are some of the actions that highlight our commitment to equity: Fellowship Program with Morgan State University: We're creating opportunities for local BIPOC students through a Fellowship Program with Morgan State University's School of Architecture & Planning. Empowering the next generation with knowledge and skills is our way of investing in the future. Community Design Lab: The Community Design Lab, an environmental design program for South Baltimore high school students, taught by members of our planning team. Outreach Events: We believe that education, recreation, and community input. Our outreach events bring education and fun activities to nearby communities, ensuring that everyone has a chance to learn and connect to the projects. Community-Driven Planning: Collaboration is key. We're partnering with community leaders and residents to develop a Plan that reflects the diverse needs and aspirations of Middle Branch communities. Equitable Distribution of Investments: Disinvestment has impacted some neighborhoods more than others. We're committed to distributing investments equitably, concentrating improvements in areas that have historically experienced disinvestment. Economic Development Initiatives: Our plan integrates equitable economic development programs, ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared by all members of our community. Learn more about how the Reimagine Middle Branch Plan is centering equity and get a closer look at ongoing programs and opportunities to get involved by visiting our website: https://lnkd.in/eyhaAsKj South Baltimore Gateway Partnership #ReimagineMiddleBranch #MiddleBranch #SouthBaltimore #Community #Patapsco #PatapscoRiver #BaltimoreMD #SouthBmore #BaltimoreWaterfront #CenteringEquity #BaltimoreEquity #equity #EquityInAction #EnvironmentalJustice ID: A light blue graphic with dark teal text in the center that reads "Commitment to Equity". Surrounding the text are six colored circles. Each of the circles has one of the commitments to equity in dark teal. 1. Economic Development Initiatives 2 . Fellowship Programs 3. Community Design Lab 4. Equitable Distribution of Investments 5. Community-Driven Planning 6. Outreach Events

It is imperative that we engage our youngest learners with tools and learning experiences that lead to more significant learning gains (and when they are also fun - even better!). We take this seriously at Waterford.org, so I invite you to check out these details and consider what these outcomes might mean for young learners in your realm of influence.

🌍 Acknowledging Our Roots: The Power of Land and Labor Acknowledgements in Education 🙏 Hello, fellow educators and learners! 👋 Today, I'd like to delve into a practice that's close to my heart and integral to our learning journey at Clover Park Technical College: Land and Labor Acknowledgements. 🏞️ Dr. Betsy Hasegawa, Associate Vice President of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at South Seattle College, beautifully explains the importance of these acknowledgements. In her words, "We are place-based... on lands that have a deep history and a legacy... cared for by the first people who have made sure that the lands, air, water, and all the creatures are still in as good a shape as they can be for us to do the work that we're going to do." 🌳 https://lnkd.in/giwN-Bz2 Land and Labor Acknowledgements remind us that we are not without history. We are here because of relationships, and acknowledging the first people of these lands is an honest way of recognizing our place in this legacy. It's a moment of reflection, a nod to our interconnectedness, and a step towards fostering a deeper relationship with our environment and its history. 🌍 I first encountered these acknowledgements at NCORE 2023, where they were presented before every session. Inspired, I began incorporating them into my courses and have continued to do so. Now, we've included them in our Base Camp at Clover Park Technical College, encouraging other faculty to adopt this practice. 🎓 How do you acknowledge the history and legacy of the land and labor in your educational practices? Drop a comment and let's discuss! 🗨️ #education #learning #teaching #professionaldevelopment #inclusiveeducation #edtech #LandAcknowledgement #LaborAcknowledgement

Exciting times are on the horizon for Nicholls State University! It's more than just the turning of soil; it's a turning point in the Coastal Center project's journey. The dirt that's moved symbolizes the potential that's being unearthed—the potential for new discoveries, new knowledge, and new possibilities. By #investing in the Coastal Center, we empower the youth of today to actively participate in shaping the future of their coastal communities and the planet as a whole. In #prioritizing education and research, we invest in the vitality and sustainability of coastal regions. #closesttothecoast #nichollscoastalcenter

Interesting thoughts / arguments on putting all available public space to use for park and play purposes (with links to some existing joint-use park and school programs).

This summer I had the opportunity to teach a history of Chicago course for City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College. I designed the class to highlight Chicago’s relationship to nature. From the indigenous groups and earliest settlers who used the Chicago river to establish regional trade, to the longevity of our lakefront being an open, public space—thanks to the efforts of folks like Daniel Burnham and Montgomery Ward—nature has been critical in Chicago becoming the global city we know today. With the environment playing such an important role in both Chicago’s past and future, it’s no wonder that all of the candidates in the last mayoral election promoted bringing back Chicago’s Department of the Environment. Illinois Environmental Council’s Iyana Simba wrote about the need to revive the department last year. Check out her blog post here: https://lnkd.in/gVdZDYY7 Throughout the term I took students on tours of important sites around the city. Below is an image from my talk on Millennium Park. By the way, did you know that Millennium Park is the world’s largest green roof?! Earlier in the term, I took students on a tour of the Chicago River. The river is now a vibrant focal point for Chicago’s tourism economy because of the environmental advocacy of groups like Friends of the Chicago River and Urban Rivers. Personally, the river has also become a place for me to reconnect with nature (just this weekend I went kayaking along the north branch). What are some ways that you connect with nature in your city? How has nature influence your city’s development? #chicago #environment #education #sustainability #nonprofit

"But Porterville has this going for it: Its school district pioneered a partnership with Climate Action Pathways for Schools, or CAPS, a nonprofit that aims to help high school students become more environmentally aware while simultaneously lowering their school’s carbon footprint and earning wages. CAPS is part of a growing trend. Like similar programs in Missouri, Illinois, Maine, Mississippi and New York City, CAPS is using the career-technical education, or CTE, model to prepare young people for the green jobs of the future before they get out of high school." #climateaction #climateeducation #cte #greenjobs

Discover the foundation of Waterford's impact in #EducationResearch, where every innovation is grounded in enhancing learning experiences and promoting student achievement. Check out this infographic that highlights the ways we're working with communities toward our shared goal of excellence in education. 🌐📖 #EducationalExcellence #ResearchBackedCurriculum #StudentAchievement #WaterfordTestimonialTuesday https://hubs.ly/Q02mKmb30

With educators in the thick of curriculum audit season, it's essential to utilize solutions that are going to move the needle academically.  Check out our ESSA meta analysis spanning the past 10 years to see how Waterford could impact your earliest learners!

Combating Climate Change in Urban Areas - Small Changes, Big Impact Urbanization has transformed the world’s landscape, with more people residing in cities. While urbanization offers numerous benefits, such as economic growth and better quality of life, it also contributes significantly to climate change. By incorporating small measures into urban planning, such as making space for trees in public parking lots, driveways, and city highways, we can counteract the negative effects of urbanization and make progress in the fight against climate change. This can be made effective with a web or mobile app. To track and involve community members in the effort to incorporate green spaces within urban areas, a dedicated mobile or web app can serve as an effective tool. Here are some features that can be included in the app: 1. Provide an interactive map that displays the locations of existing and potential green spaces, including parking lots, driveways, and highways. 2. Allow users to view upcoming tree planting events in their community and register to participate. 3. Offer a volunteer management system to track community members' involvement, including their participation in tree-planting activities and their contribution to the overall effort. This feature can help recognize and reward participants. 4. Implement a tree adoption program where community members can sponsor or adopt a tree. They can receive updates on the growth and health of their adopted tree, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. 5. Provide access to educational resources, including articles, videos, and infographics, to raise awareness about the importance of urban greening and the benefits of trees. 6. Incorporate a social networking feature that allows community members to connect and share experiences, photos, and success stories related to urban greening initiatives. 7. Create a comprehensive tree inventory, cataloging the species, age, and health of trees within the community to help identify areas that require additional focus. 8. Enable users to report issues related to tree planting initiatives, such as vandalism, tree diseases, or unsustainable maintenance practices to facilitate prompt resolution and ensure the long-term viability of the efforts towards urban green spaces. 9. Show users the cumulative impact of their individual and collective efforts by displaying real-time progress indicators, such as the number of trees planted, carbon dioxide sequestered, and the expansion of green areas.   10. Send push notifications and reminders about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities to keep users engaged and informed. Urbanization, while a significant contributor to climate change, can also be a crucial part of the solution. By making small changes to urban landscapes to introduce trees into large parking lots, along driveways, and city highways, we can mitigate climate change effects. @ScholarshipOwl @NJIT www.njit.edu