Sustainable Essex Committee raises $2,360 for environmental discussion series
Willimantic, CT (05/22/2020) — After a $1,180 match from the Sustainable CT Community Match Fund, the Sustainable Essex Committee now has $2,360 for its Sustainable Essex Environmental Discussion (SEED) series, which will offer virtual workshops for Essex residents throughout 2020.
SEED is comprised of individual sessions on topics such as waste reduction and sustainable management of water resources, and will be open to residents to help them learn about environmental best practices.
"The overriding goals of the SEED discussion series are to create awareness about climate change issues and provide guidance on how individuals can modify their household behaviors to address climate change and stimulate action at a community level," said Mike Long, project leader.
The project was supported by a crowdfunding campaign that received a dollar-for-dollar match from the Sustainable CT Community Match Fund, which is an initiative of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University that is funded by the Smart Seed Fund, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and Connecticut Green Bank.
About Sustainable CT and the Community Match Fund
The Sustainable CT Community Match Fund is an innovative funding resource that provides a dollar-for-dollar match to all donations raised from the community, doubling local investment. The program is helping to bring projects across the state to life by providing fast, accessible funding as well as fundraising coaching and support to residents and organizations with great ideas to make their communities more sustainable.
Anyone in a Sustainable CT-registered municipality (more than 50 percent of the state) is eligible to receive this funding, meaning that schools, nonprofits, community groups and individual residents can all propose projects and access the matching funds.
To start a Community Match Fund project, visit WWW.ioby.org/sustainablect or contact Sustainable CT's Abe Hilding-Salorio at hildingsalorioa@easternct.edu or 860-465-0256.
"Through the Community Match Fund, we aim to put residents at the forefront of creating positive, impactful change," said Hilding-Salorio, community outreach manager for Sustainable CT. "Match Fund projects are community led and community funded, demonstrating the power of people working together to make change in their communities."
Sustainable CT, an initiative by the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, provides a roadmap of sustainability best practices for towns, technical assistance, funding and recognition through certification. Forty-seven towns and cities across Connecticut have earned the prestigious Sustainable CT certification, demonstrating accomplishments in nine impact categories including inclusive and equitable communities, cleaner transportation, vibrant arts and culture, natural resource stewardship and affordable housing. Sustainable CT is funded by the Hampshire Foundation, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and Connecticut Green Bank. Find more information at www.sustainablect.org.
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving 5,000 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 162 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 34 other states and 19 countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 30 public universities in the North Region by U.S. News and World Report in its 2019 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 10 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.