Bridgeport, CT – The City of Bridgeport was recently awarded the Partners for Places grant, led by The Funders Network (TFN) in partnership with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN). The $150,000 grant will be partnered with matched funds from the Barr Foundation and William Caspar Graustein Foundation, in which the City has received $90,000. The grant will allow Bridgeport to build community resilience through collaborative environmental education, including the co-creation of a climate resilience curriculum that can be used by community leaders throughout the city.

The City plans on building trust and understanding between frontline community residents and local decision-makers while ultimately establishing a training program where community leaders can share knowledge and empower their fellow residents to participate in climate-related policymaking. The primary focus for this initiative is to collaborate with PT Partners, a grassroots organization that aims to rebuild community in Bridgeport public housing, with the hopes of expanding the initiative after two years and working with local Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Groups (NRZs).

Mayor Ganim stated, “We are thrilled and grateful to receive funding for such a key initiative in Bridgeport, while encouraging education and advocacy for a greener future. This grant provided by Partners for Places will help us to get our residents involved in their neighborhoods, as climate change is a significant issue that requires our collective attention. Our plan is to continue our ongoing efforts toward being a sustainable City and reducing our carbon footprint with every opportunity we receive to do so.”

The intention for the program is to provide education on climate change while enhancing informed decision-making and self-advocacy for residents. The Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs will coordinate collaboration along with the City’s Sustainability Manager, Chadwick Schroeder.

“As a city that stands for sustainability and resiliency awareness, it’s gratifying knowing that we’ve been given this incredible collaboration opportunity through the Partners for Places grant,” stated Sustainability Manager, Chadwick Schroeder. “Bridgeport is one in five cities nationwide to be on the receiving end of this grant and because of this, we’re excited to expand our initiatives surrounding climate and resiliency awareness by empowering local groups and continuing our efforts by tackling important issues together.”