Seven organizations to receive a total of $483,000 through the King Conservation District-Seattle Community Partnership Grant Program
The City of Seattle and King Conservation District are proud to announce funding for projects advancing environmental justice, food access, and natural resource monitoring work around Seattle. With grants ranging from $58,844 to $75,000, seven community organizations were awarded grants for projects slated to launch in 2020. A total amount of $483,000 was awarded this year!
Since 1995, King Conservation District and the City of Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment have worked together to fund projects supporting environmental health within our city limits. To reflect Seattle’s commitment to environmental justice, all project proposals are also required to address the goals of the Seattle Equity & Environment Agenda alongside natural resource priorities. This year, many projects awarded funding are focused on specific areas of food access in different Seattle regions. Each of the below projects is notable for taking an intersectional approach to environmental wellness and healthy food access.
Here are the seven organizations receiving funding, and a brief introduction to their proposed projects:
YouthCare: YouthGrow Garden Program
This program engages homeless youth by providing them a space to learn employment skills and earn science credits, while increasing healthy food access and building support for a more sustainable food system.
EarthCorps: Yes Farm Manager
Funding will allow EarthCorps to hire a farm manager for the Yes Farm, a community redevelopment project in Yesler Terrace, increasing food access for low-income residents and environmental career exposure for youth of color.
Rainier Beach Action Coalition: Food Justice Fellowship
A new youth leadership program, this fellowship is aimed at preparing young professionals of color to enter the Food Justice movement by providing youth leaders with professional development and leadership opportunities.
Food Empowerment Education Sustainability Team (FEEST): Youth-led Healthy Food in Seattle Schools
FEEST works to increase access to fresh local foods in Seattle Public Schools by building leadership skills in youth of color, who will learn food education and advocacy through community dinners and an intensive development program.
Duwamish Tribal Services: “Duwamish Ridge to River” Linked Trail System with Associated Water Quality Monitoring (Puget Creek)
This project will involve the development of a remediation study and mitigation strategy to clean up and improve a contaminated section of hiking trails in Puget Creek, connecting the area’s creek, wetland, and ravine systems.
InterIm Community Development Association: Youth Development Support for Environmental Justice
InterIm’s WILD Program uses experiential environmental justice education to serve Asian and Pacific Islander immigrant and refugee youth, who will develop green career and land stewardship skills by participating in activities like trail restoration, environmental advocacy, parks visits, and developing their own natural resource improvement projects.
Young Women Empowered: Y-WE Nature Connections
Y-WE is developing a healthy food initiative aimed at serving communities of color in South Seattle, providing community-focused training and supporting healthy food production, sustainability career skills, and amplifying cultural narratives.
These projects will begin development in 2020. Stay tuned for the next application round! Questions? Contact Jessica Saavedra with King Conservation District at jessica.saavedra@kingcd.org.