Greetings Community! 

Happy Spring, almost Summer! As we approach the end of May, I feel immense anticipation, excitement, and gratitude as I head out June 1 for a sabbatical and then again in October and November. I’ve hoped for an opportunity to experience this, which, many years ago, felt so inaccessible. Now, as a reality within reach, I’ve learned that rest, reflection, and spaciousness are critical parts of sustaining ourselves as leaders to be the best versions of ourselves to walk and lead with our values to sustain the work. Especially movement work when the “why” is so deeply intertwined with our lived experience and the need to build toward justice and liberation. I’ve appreciated discussions with colleagues who have shared their experiences and offered advice. When asked, “What do I plan to do?” Well, that journey will be emergent and immersive as I lean into honing my joy and everything that brings it. I look forward to coming back a better, restored Corrine. I’m extremely thankful to our Director of Programs Jaime Love for stepping in as Interim CEO (yes I am coming back!) and an amazing, supportive team to hold things down so I can step away. Hear a bit more from Jaime below or by watching this video, which was very fun to record! And read on to see what exciting things we’ve been up to over the last quarter. I will see you again in July!

With gratitude,
Corrine 

A special message from Interim CEO, Jaime Love 

Greetings!

For those who don’t know me, I am Jaime Love (she/her), currently the Director of Programs for People’s Climate Innovation Center and based in Cincinnati, OH. I am so excited to be stepping into the role of Interim CEO during Corrine’s sabbatical! I have been with the Climate Innovation team for two and a half years, and it’s been amazing to work alongside Corrine and see the magic this team has made along the journey. While Corrine is away, we will be planning our upcoming gathering for the Young Black Climate Leaders program and our annual staff retreat. And big things are happening with the NACRP (announcements coming soon!) that we are working to shape. Overall, I look forward to having the opportunity to do some strategic planning with the team this year and continue building on so many wonderful ideas that we have been brainstorming! I’m also excited for growth as we add to the team over the coming months. Over the summer, I’ll be enjoying some time with my family and, hopefully, some great weather. :-) It will be a true honor to serve in this capacity throughout the year, and I look forward to connecting with many of you in various capacities. Feel free to contact me at jaime@climateinnovation.net if you have questions or want to connect further.

Warmly,
Jaime

We are eagerly anticipating the orientation for the incoming Young Black Climate Leaders (YBCL) cohort, which will take place from Tuesday, July 30 to Thursday, August 1, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina. We will be immersed in the theme of Dreaming While Black: Healing, Self-Determination, Power & Liberation.  We can't wait to see our 2020- 2024 YBCL Alumni, Advisory Board Members, and Mentors in South Carolina, as we come together to network, dreamscape, and warmly welcome the new YBCL cohort members!

To ensure we embody the spirit of community and reciprocity,  we invited t-shirt designs for the YBCL Dream Lab from all those affiliated with the Young Black Climate Leaders program. Folx had a chance to showcase their talents and now everyone in the People's Climate Innovation Center ecosystem has the opportunity to vote on finalists' designs! Public voting opens today, May 23, 2024, and closes on Friday, May 31. We welcome and encourage you to contribute to making sure participants at the Dream Lab stay fly and with that drip. Vote here for your favorite design!

The winning design will become the official shirt for the July in-person Dream Lab. The Winner will also receive a $200 award from the People's Climate Innovation Center. Thank you to all who submitted your designs! The winner will be announced on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. 

The Grant Fund Working Group poured tremendous effort and care into a Community Resilience and Environmental Justice Fund. From designing the application to co-hosting information sessions, reviewing applications and participating in decision days, this working group, in collaboration with the city, is now able to award 15 $10,000 grants to community organizations working to advance environmental justice in the City of Philadelphia! To learn more about Justina and her orientation to community-driven planning, check out her member spotlight on our website. 

Those who complete the Facilitator Certification Program are invited to join NACRP’s Facilitator Network and be listed on our referral network page. The purpose of the referral network is to ensure that localities are able to connect with, and contract trained and experienced facilitators accountable to frontline communities in their region.

Starting in June, we are hosting weekly office hours for members on Wednesdays 11 am-1 pm PT / 1-3 pm CT / 2-4 pm ET. Anyone interested in learning more about the NACRP, or eligibility for the NACRP Fund, is encouraged to schedule a 30 min check-in with Chantal, NACRP Program Manager, using this Google appointment link. If Wednesdays don’t work, or if you prefer Zoom over Google Meet, then please reach out to (nacrp@climateinnovation.net) and we can adjust - we want to hear from you!

What are some of the different community governance models in practice within our network? How do we start remembering and reactivating collective governance in a community capacity? In this 2.5-hour interactive online workshop, we will explore these questions with practitioners and reflect on opportunities to plant and cultivate the seeds of community governance within our planning projects.

We've extended the completion period for our 2024 Communications Constituent Survey by two weeks, so there's still ample time to share your thoughts with us! Don't miss this opportunity to give us feedback that ensures you get the kind of communications you're looking for while getting a shot at $250 in the process! Complete the survey by Friday, May 31 at 2:00 p.m. CT (4:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 p.m. PT) for your chance to win!

This survey provides the opportunity to share direct feedback about our communications–what works well, what doesn’t and everything in between. We're listening! And we're ready for it all! Your feedback will help us to enhance our first multi-year strategic communications plan, and our efforts to streamline, refine, and strengthen our communications as an organization and across our programs. In addition, completion of the survey helps to ensure we're providing you with the kinds of engagements you wish to see. 

Remember, everyone who completes the survey by Friday, May 31 will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win one of four (4) $250 gift cards! Take a few moments and share your thoughts with us! We are grateful to have you in our community and appreciate your candid and honest feedback!

The People's Climate Innovation Center team extends a final farewell and best wishes to Tamira Jones, our former Capacity Building Director and staff lead for NACRP. Earlier this month, Tamira resigned from her role in order to pursue opportunities closer to home. 

This is indeed a bittersweet departure, as Tamira has been a valued member of the Climate Innovation team since 2020 and has played a pivotal role in our development and growth while providing invaluable leadership and expertise to support our operations, core team functionality, and, most notably, the NACRP. She will forever be a part of our story and community. Over the years, many of you have had the opportunity to get to know Tamira and experience her wonderful sense of humor and wit, along with her invaluable facilitation, design, strategy, public funding, and community-driven planning expertise. We are thrilled to see her flourish as she begins her next role and, of course, sad to see her go. She will be greatly missed, and we wish her all the best in her next chapter. We’re excited for what opportunities might manifest to remain in support, solidarity and community. We are so proud of her and happy for her. All who wish to stay in touch can reach Tamira at Tamirajones101@gmail.com.