Columbia Climate School to provide support for WE ACT Technical Advisory Center to Community Groups

By
Leel Dias
August 07, 2024

In early July, Columbia University signed a memorandum of understanding with WE ACT for Environmental Justice as an unfunded partner with the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center for EPA Region 2.  

The WE ACT Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) Program serves communities in New York and New Jersey for the next three years under a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The TCTAC aims to help underserved communities gain access to grant and funding opportunities so that they're better positioned to advance and address environmental, climate, and energy justice issues. The TCTAC offers training and technical assistance to build capacity for navigating grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, effectively managing grants, and engaging in environmental and energy justice projects and decision-making. 

Under the contract, which runs through June 2028, the Columbia Climate School will provide support for training and awareness to help the TCTAC fulfill its scope of work. 

Key aspects of the partnership include:

  • Facilitating connections between community-based partnerships and Columbia affiliates, with Columbia faculty providing technical assistance and offering their expertise. 
  • Developing trainings, as needed, on climate justice, energy justice, federal and local policies, and more.
  • Quarterly reporting on outreach, technical assistance, and training services based on WE ACT’s reporting structure.
  • Participating in annual gatherings with community and regional EJ groups as well as EPA-hosted conferences, symposiums, and convenings. 
  • Working with WE ACT to ensure that outreach, promotion, and stakeholder engagement efforts are aligned and coordinated 

Additionally, Climate School professor Sheila Foster sits on the TCTAC steering committee, advising on the strategy for engaging and building the capacity of underserved, rural, and remote communities to address environmental and energy justice concerns.

“The Columbia Climate School is proud to support the EPA Region 2 TCTAC which is offering critical support to communities across the region in accessing the benefits and funds from the historic legislative climate and infrastructure investments flowing through federal and state agencies. We are also proud to be working closely with WE ACT for Environmental Justice to deliver the promises of the TCTAC to overburdened communities,” said Sheila Foster, Professor of Climate. 

“The TCTAC work presents a historic opportunity to strengthen historically marginalized communities and support a just energy transition in our region. It is an honor for the Columbia Climate School and other parts at the University to partner with WE ACT to leverage its considerable scientific and human resources in support of this critical work at a critical time.” said Jackie Klopp, director of the Climate School’s Center for Sustainable Urban Development.

The Environmental Justice and Climate Just Cities (EJCJC) Network brings together faculty from Columbia committed to advancing environmental justice. Columbia affiliates with relevant expertise interested in supporting the WE ACT TCTAC can fill out this form. 

If you are interested in getting involved with environmental justice work more generally at Columbia, reach out to [email protected]. Additionally, if you know a community group interested in TCTAC services, please share the Technical Assistance Intake Form and encourage them to sign up for alerts on training and grant opportunities.