The Sustainability Institute at Bridgemont Community and Technical College and the West Virginia Sustainable Communities program announced June 21 that they have awarded five technical assistance mini-grants to communities across the state.
Projects are to be completed by the end of the year. These grants support community-based efforts to advance sustainability goals for West Virginia communities in areas including:
- Green building, renovation, deconstruction
- Citizen engagement/public participation
- Community design/planning
- Economic development, entrepreneurship
- Energy efficiency, energy audits, greenhouse gas assessment
- Livability/walkability/smart growth
- Recycling, composting
The Sustainability Institute received a variety of innovative community-based proposals, which represents the increasing awareness about sustainability efforts across West Virginia, according to institute Director Kelly Jo Drey.
"A key factor to our success in promoting these grants was educating people that the true nature of sustainability is balancing economic and environmental needs to promote healthy and vibrant communities," Drey said.
The WVSC was launched by the state Department of Environmental Protection in 2006 to send young people from diverse backgrounds to work with rural communities across the state in order to further community-based sustainability efforts.
WVDEP's new television series, Environment Matters, profiled the technical assistance mini-grants recipients in its June 12 episode. The news magazine–style show is broadcast on the West Virginia Library Commission network and also may be viewed on YouTube. youtube.com.
"I'm proud of the growth we have seen in the WVSC program over the past seven years," said WVDEP Sustainability Officer Gregory Adolfson. "We continue to see new communities request support in the arena of sustainability, which reflects the growing concern of our citizens to support economic prosperity and well-being of their communities."
The 2012 award winners are:
- Coalfield Development Corp., Wayne County, $4,000. The 21st Century Jobs Initiative trains at-risk young adults for employment in the green construction/deconstruction field.
- Alderson Community Center for the Arts and Humanities, $5,000. This grant will help fund an energy efficiency and solar energy engineering study and implementation plan for the ACCAH.
- Tri-State Local Foods Project in the Huntington area, $5,000. Technical assistance will support the creation of a "Buy Local" campaign to support the Tri-State Local Foods year-round marketplace.
- City of Shinnston, $5,000. Funds will allow the city to engage a LEED-certified architect to create a sustainable and energy efficient renovation plan for an historic building.
- Wood County Energy Efficiency Project, $5,000. Funds will support the development of a pilot financing program for energy efficiency upgrades for middle-income homeowners.
WVSC is under the direction of the Sustainability Institute at Bridgemont, in partnership with DEP, the West Virginia Community Development Hub, and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The mission of the WVSC program is to promote sustainability principles across West Virginia and to support communities in becoming environmentally, economically and socially sustainable for the benefit of current and future generations.
Along with supporting community development in West Virginia, the Sustainability Institute works to develop West Virginia's workforce through business education and business process improvement, and enhances academics by supporting and improving higher education programs.
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