Hester Street (HST) is developing a curriculum and training institute for 10 Green Leaders, community-based organizations supporting a green economy across New York State. To build resilient and sustainable communities in cities, the training will focus on tangibly improving Green Leaders’ ability to plan and execute transformative community development initiatives over the next two years.
Project Partner PUSH Buffalo will guide content, sharing their model for green jobs training and sustainable community and workforce development through the Green Development Zone. HST will create a versatile and accessible curriculum and lead training sessions with a focus on community-engaged planning and design, re-development of land for housing, green infrastructure, community-based renewable energy solutions and urban agriculture.
The training institute will build the capacity of the Green Leaders for thinking expansively and inclusively about physical and social resiliency, addressing community needs and priorities with development and placemaking opportunities and utilizing mapping and other critical skills. By the end of the project, each Green Leader will have produced an Action Plan for improving community organizing practice and resident-led planning and design for green development and sustainability in their communities.