ERI program inspires Cincinnati-area climate action fellowship

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Source: Environmental Resilience Institute

Just like climate change knows no borders, neither do effective models to help communities take steps to address it.

This summer, Cincinnati-based Green Umbrella launched a pilot program to support the climate action planning efforts of three local governments in the region, which includes parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.

Inspired by the IU Environmental Resilience Institute’s (ERI’s) McKinney Midwest Climate Project (MMCP), Green Umbrella’s Climate Action Fellowship connects local governments with students and young professionals to advance their community’s climate journey.

Over the course of 10 weeks, local governments and fellows work together to make progress in six areas related to climate action and resilience planning. The program includes a three-day training and regular support from Green Umbrella staff, culminating with a community showcase where participants present on the progress they made.

The inaugural cohort, funded by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, pairs the cities of Oxford, Ohio, Milford, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky with local students and young professionals interested in public sector climate careers.

“I see this program as such a boon for getting folks excited about climate work who are both currently and not currently in the public sector space,” said Savannah Sullivan, Green Umbrella’s senior director of programs and climate strategy. “It’s also very encouraging to community members who want to see this action from their governments.”

Van Sullivan

Sullivan, who worked at ERI during her time as a graduate student at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, is no stranger to developing climate programs and resources for local governments. While at IU, she supported the ERI Toolkit, a guide to help Midwest communities prepare for and address climate change impacts. Sullivan also contributed to some of ERI’s early programs for local governments focused on climate risk and vulnerability. Those experiences helped inform her approach to engaging communities at Green Umbrella, whose members include governments, businesses, nonprofits, and educational institutions invested in local climate action.

When brainstorming program models to support smaller local governments with limited resources and varying levels of sustainability experience, Sullivan knew exactly where to turn. Since 2019, ERI has engaged nearly 50 local governments in Indiana on climate and resilience planning. Through MMCP’s Resilience Cohort, Indiana cities, towns, and counties have tackled topics spanning greenhouse gas inventories, climate action planning, solar readiness, and tree canopy replenishment.

“Early on, ERI heard from many Hoosier communities that they wanted to make progress on climate but didn’t really know how to get started,” said Therese Dorau, ERI assistant director for policy and implementation. “Since then, tremendous progress has been made in Indiana with guidance from ERI and with the support of McKinney Climate Fellows, IU students striving to become the next climate leaders. This model of collective impact could work across the country wherever there are shared goals and an organization willing to facilitate it. It’s exciting to see Green Umbrella pilot it in neighboring states.”

As part of its inaugural Climate Action Fellowship, Green Umbrella paired three students and young professionals with local governments in the Cincinnati area. Climate action fellows from left to right: David Naibei, a recent Fulbright graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law; Elese Daniel, former engagement manager at Red Bike and former fellow of the National Association of City Transportation Officials; and Ella O’Maley, a rising senior at Xavier University and co-president of the Xavier Student Sustainability Board. Photo courtesy of Green Umbrella

After consulting ERI staff in 2023, Sullivan adapted the Resilience Cohort model to fit Green Umbrella’s members, confident the program would achieve its stated goals. Though the pilot program doesn’t wrap up until early August, other local governments have already expressed interest about joining the next iteration, Sullivan said.

“What works about it is that the local government space is very community oriented,” she said. “Local governments like to learn from each other. They also like to see what their neighbors are doing.

“This program really lays the ground for accessible examples and stories for other governments in the region to look to.”

About the Environmental Resilience Institute

Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute connects a broad coalition of government, business, nonprofit, and community leaders to help Indiana and the Midwest better prepare for the challenges of environmental change. Together, we integrate research, education, and community to create environmental resilience and climate solutions—building a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future. Learn more at eri.iu.edu.

About Green Umbrella

As Greater Cincinnati’s Regional Climate Collaborative, Green Umbrella leads a network committed to taking decisive action in the face of climate change. We help our communities become more climate resilient and equitable, and work collectively to decrease our region’s emissions. Find out more at greenumbrella.org.

Interact for Health awards $650,0000 to four local organizations in effort to advance local policy changes

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Source: NKyTribune

Interact for Health awards $650,0000 to four local organizations in effort to advance local policy changes

Interact for Health has announced four recipients of their Local Health Policy Request for Proposals (RFP). The grants aim to advance local policy and advocacy efforts focused on addressing the social, economic, and environmental factors that shape health in the Greater Cincinnati area.

“Interact for Health is dedicated to tackling the root causes that continue to create unequal health outcomes among different communities,” said Interact for Health President and CEO, Kate Schroder. “We look forward to partnering with these organizations that are rooted in community engagement and committed to lasting impact in their policy work.”

The four organizations selected to receive these grants plan to engage in local-level policy and advocacy efforts that aim to improve the economic stability, social and community context, and neighborhood environments of their communities. The awarded partners are:

1. Cradle Cincinnati Policy Committee: Deepening Engagement and Building Capacity for Advocacy $125,000 (2 yrs) Co-creating a policy agenda aligned with maternal and infant health equity, hosting policy and advocacy trainings, and annual community forums to empower Black women to engage confidently in the policy and advocacy process.

“Engaging in advocacy and policy is essential to addressing systemic inequities in maternal and infant health, ensuring access to health and wellness resources, and creating supportive environments for Black birthing people,” said Dr. Meredith Smith, Cradle Cincinnati Executive Director.

2. Green Umbrella: Transformative Health Justice through Climate Policy Action $150,000 (2 yrs) Advocating for policies that make regional communities more climate resilient, including policies about land use, anti-displacement, and a Regional Climate Action Plan.

“We want to make sure that communities that are most impacted by the negative impacts of climate change have the opportunity to thrive in the green economy,” said Ryan Mooney-Bullock, Executive Director, Green Umbrella.

3. Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati (HOME): Fair Housing and Tenant Rights Advocacy $225,000 (3 yrs) Increasing Black homeownership in Greater Cincinnati and educating renters about tenant rights and eviction prevention.

“The Cincinnati region has a legacy of racial segregation that perpetuates severe housing disparities for lower-income households and Black households. Public policies created this legacy of housing segregation, so we need new policies that dismantle segregation and create a new legacy of fair and equitable housing for all,” said Elisabeth Risch, Executive Director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME).

4. ReNewport: West Newport Community Benefits Agreement Project: $150,000 (2 yrs) Creating a Community Benefits Agreement Plan with the neighborhood association of West Newport and residents of Newport to take on public health issues including housing, pollution, the environment, and equitable solutions for the Newport neighborhood.

“[We hope] that as more development continues to come to the neighborhood, it can be influenced by the community to ensure opportunities being created can be achievable for all and that regardless of background and income level, West Newport is a neighborhood where you can thrive and achieve your dreams,” said Josh Tunning, Executive Director of ReNewport.

Interact for Health

Covington, Milford and Oxford receive support to plan for effects of climate change

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Image: Bill Rinehart / WVXU Covington, KY as seen from Devou Park

Source: WVXU

Covington, Milford and Oxford receive support to plan for effects of climate change

Green Umbrella selected Oxford, Covington and Milford to participate in its Climate Action Fellowship Program this summer.

The three local governments will receive support for climate action planning — creating policy that provides communities with actions to take to address the negative effects of climate change.

Currently, just a few cities in Greater Cincinnati have developed climate action plans, like the Green Cincinnati Plan.

“There’s not nearly enough coordinated climate action happening right now in our communities,” said Savannah Sullivan, senior director of programs and climate strategy for the nonprofit Green Umbrella. “That’s where Green Umbrella comes in, to help way-find and then support these governments in reaching those goals, and not only goals within their individual jurisdiction, but collaborating together.”

The three cities selected for the 2024 Climate Action Fellowship are all at different stages of the planning process.

Oxford is one of the few municipalities in Greater Cincinnati that have created a climate action plan.

“We’re looking forward to collaborating with them to just further expand upon what they already have and support their advancement in the mitigation realm, as well as introducing a bit more resilience and adaptation efforts,” Sullivan said.

That could look like incorporating more green infrastructure and expanding the city’s tree canopy.

Covington city commissioners approved a resolution that supported the creation of policies relating to climate change in 2019.

Sullivan said the Climate Action Fellowship will provide the Northern Kentucky city with “capacity to move that into more practical action.”

Milford, meanwhile, is formally beginning its climate action planning.

Each city will work with a college student or professional throughout the fellowship.

The 10-week program is not necessarily long enough for Covington and Milford to produce complete climate action plans. But the cities will begin to work with the climate action planning framework.

“We hope that the coordination, support and the projects that we’ll be doing with local governments will help bring together the staff within the three city halls to be able to better communicate and share what the long-term climate action journey is with residents and how they can engage with the process,” Sullivan said.

Green Umbrella to host inaugural Greater Cincinnati Regional Green Schoolyards Summit

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Source: Highland County Press

Green Umbrella to host inaugural Greater Cincinnati Regional Green Schoolyards Summit

By Green Umbrella, Press Release

Green Umbrella is hosting the first Greater Cincinnati Regional Green Schoolyards Summit on Wednesday, June 5 at Aiken New Tech High School.

This Summit, hosted by Green Umbrella’s Green Schoolyards Action Network, will showcase collaboration among key partners in the movement to create accessible, equitable outdoor learning spaces for children at Cincinnati Public Schools. 

Highlights from the Summit will include:

  • Keynote speakers from Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), the City of Cincinnati, and Green Umbrella
  • panel on school gardens moderated by the Civic Garden Center
  • A student-lead tour of the Aiken school garden featuring animals, composting, and high-tunnel growing
  • Lunch procured from local farms, hosted by CPS Student Dining Services
  • Informative sessions on topics including workforce skills development, facilities improvements, collaboration opportunities, funding acquisition, and more.

”Green Umbrella is excited to showcase the remarkable strides Cincinnati Public Schools has made over the last few years in expanding access to outdoor learning and play, and farm to school food sourcing and education, through extensive collaboration,” says Ryan Mooney-Bullock, Green Umbrella Executive Director. “We hope that this event will inspire other schools across our region to commit to increasing equitable access to time outside for their students. Spending time in natural environments is a key ingredient to mental and physical health, success in school, and developing interest in green careers.” 

Registration is open now at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/greenumbrella/1192028, and space is limited. This is an inclusive event and scholarships are available by contacting the Green Schoolyards Manager, Cynthia Walters, at cynthia@greenumbrella.org. 

Green Umbrella leads cross-sector collaboration to accelerate climate action across Greater Cincinnati.

Publisher’s note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include “for website” on the memo line.

A leader in climate justice is coming to Cincinnati to talk about how it’s done

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Source: WVXU

A leader in climate justice is coming to Cincinnati to talk about how it’s done

The late politician Shirley Chisholm once said: “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”

Jacqueline Patterson has channeled those words of wisdom into work to advance environmental justice, particularly in communities being disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.

Patterson will be the keynote speaker at the 2024 Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit on May 2 in downtown Cincinnati.

On Cincinnati Edition, we talk about climate justice and what that work looks like in Greater Cincinnati.

Guests:

  • Jacqueline Patterson, founder and executive director, Chisholm Legacy Project
  • Ryan Mooney-Bullock, executive director, Green Umbrella

Green Umbrella is a financial supporter of Cincinnati Public Radio.

Ways to listen to this show:

  • Tune in live at noon ET M-F. Call 513-419-7100 or email talk@wvxu.org to have your voice heard on today’s topic.
  • Catch the replay on 91.7 WVXU and 88.5 WMUB at 8 p.m. ET M-F.
  • Listen on-demand. Audio for this segment will be uploaded to this page by 4 p.m. ET., or subscribe to our podcast.

Time Woman of the Year Jacqui Patterson to keynote Green Umbrella’s May 2 sustainability summit

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Source: NKyTribune

Time Woman of the Year Jacqui Patterson to keynote Green Umbrella’s May 2 sustainability summit

Green Umbrella’s 11th annual Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit on May 2 at the Duke Energy Convention Center will feature Jacqui Patterson as the keynote speaker.

Patterson was recently named a Time Woman of the Year, alongside noted figures including Barbie director Greta Gerwig and Nobel Laureate Claudia Goldin. Patterson is the founder of the Chisholm Legacy Project and is recognized for her revolutionary approach to climate justice, working with historically marginalized communities facing systemic injustices that include environmental issues, poverty, racial discrimination, and gender inequality.

As the largest sustainability conference in the Midwest, the Summit brings 600 passionate professional and community leaders to Cincinnati for a full day of programming, with 80 speakers, an art show, and live performances. “It’s an incredibly diverse event, with something for everyone!” says Charlie Gonzalez, who leads Green Umbrella’s conference planning with a team of regional partners. Discussions and workshops will span a wide variety of topics that include green workforce development, clean energy finance, climate resilience planning, and neighborhood food access.

This year’s Sustainability Summit theme centers on moving “From Vision to Action” and aligning our collective energy toward solutions that advance resilience, adaptation, and justice in the face of the climate crisis. With the right combination of planning, persistence, and partnerships, the future we envision is within grasp. The event showcases the inspiring work of businesses, governments, nonprofits, and residents that make our region a place where we can all thrive.

You can learn more and register at www.midwestsustainabilitysummit.org.

Green Umbrella

Cincinnati Announces BlocMaps Partnership

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Source: City of Cincinnati

Cincinnati Announces BlocMaps Partnership

CINCINNATI- The City of Cincinnati and Green Umbrella have announced a partnership with BlocPower to launch Cincy BlocMaps. BlocPower is a national climate tech company focused on decarbonizing aging buildings. Thanks to a generous local donor, Cincinnati joins 23 other municipalities, community groups, utilities, and developers nationwide utilizing BlocMaps.

BlocMaps empowers users by providing a comprehensive breakdown of the local building stock allowing for well-informed strategy for targeting and outreach. The tool considers factors such as building characteristics, environmental justice needs, socioeconomic indicators, energy use intensity, HVAC characteristics, potential for energy efficiency improvements, and more. Notably, Cincinnati takes the lead as the first area to incorporate a solar feasibility feature on the BlocMaps tool thanks to a partnership with the OKI Regional Council of Governments.

BlocMaps not only facilitates a visual understanding of the local building landscape but also offers insightful analysis and exportable data that can be used to target outreach and upgrades. The analysis assesses costs, potential rebates, and greenhouse gas reductions associated with implementing energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy upgrades. The City, along with key stakeholders, will strategically employ the BlocMaps tool to target and advance building decarbonization initiatives in the region in alignment with goals of the 2023 Green Cincinnati Plan.

Click here to learn more 

Questions? Contact Molly Robertshaw molly.robertshaw@cincinnati-oh.gov

Faith communities join in energy efficiency effort

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Source: Movers and Makers

Faith communities join in energy efficiency effort

Faith Communities Go Green, a collaboration between EquaSion and Green Umbrella, is now partnering with 52 local faith communities in a new program called the Energy Efficiency Initiative. The initiative kicked off with a two-part workshop. Panelists Ken Wright, Flequer Vera, Andy Holzhauser, Sister C.j. Willie and Rev. Damon Lynch III introduced their areas of expertise and then joined attendees for roundtable discussions.

equasion.org/faith-communities-go-green

Looking back and ahead on ‘big wins’ for climate change response in Greater Cincinnati

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Source: WVXU

Looking back and ahead on ‘big wins’ for climate change response in Greater Cincinnati

More than $8 million in grants is headed to Cincinnati to support climate change response and sustainability initiatives.

The Green Cincinnati Plan sets a goal of attracting $25 million in grants over the next five years. Director of Environment and Sustainability Ollie Kroner says more federal funding is available than ever before.

“The next six months are going to be pretty pivotal as we wait to hear on these grant opportunities that are out the door,” Kroner said. “I think we have applications out for between $60 million and $80 million, and we’re finding a lot of success so far.”

RELATED: A federal grant is funding work on a climate change action plan for Greater Cincinnati

One benefit is a near doubling of the Office of Environment and Sustainability staff.

“This time last year we had nine people on the team and today we have 16 in the office, and that looks like a pace that will continue as more of these grants start to land,” Kroner said. “This is the biggest the team at OES has ever been.”

Three grant-funded positions have joined the city through FUSE, a nonprofit that funds year-long executive fellowships with city and county agencies:

A recent grant awarded to the entire Cincinnati metro area will fund the creation of a regional climate pollution reduction plan.

RELATED: The 2023 Green Cincinnati Plan sets ambitious goals, including 100% carbon neutrality by 2050

Another grant will study energy efficiency in low-income housing through a partnership with Over-the-Rhine Community Housing.

“This will help demonstrate whether it helps alleviate energy poverty,” Kroner said. “That’s an exciting pilot that sort of helps tie together affordable housing and climate equity in a really important way.”

The Green Cincinnati Plan has 130 policy goals for the city. You can monitor progress through the online dashboard.

The Region’s Sustainability Pros Expand Their Impact on Climate Change

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Source: Cincinnati Magazine

The Region’s Sustainability Pros Expand Their Impact on Climate Change

Cincinnati’s Green Umbrella is a network of individuals, organizations, and governments that are committed to taking action in the face of climate change. Its 25-year history includes launching projects, helping to secure grants, and hosting events across the region. The organization serves counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. To expand its reach, Green Umbrella is relaunching as the region’s regional climate collaborative. Executive director Ryan Mooney-Bullock says the shift is being made in order to address research that shows that 2030 is the milestone year in order to reduce climate change–related catastrophes. “We have a very short amount of time to make a big difference,” says Mooney-Bullock. “We want to be as prepared as possible to help our region reduce emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change.” The new direction will focus attention on helping communities come up with a clear climate action plan and direct resources to key priorities.

Reaching everyone in the region

Currently 325,000 people live in communities with a dedicated roadmap for climate action. Green Umbrella is working to expand coverage to all 2.2 million people in the region. “We have a track record of meeting the needs of our region and the pressing issues of our time,” says Mooney-Bullock. “We’re working toward a resilient, equitable, and thriving region.”

Common Orchard Project & Green Schoolyards Action Network Orchard Installation at Carthage Elementary with Fifth Third Bank volunteers.

Local government’s embedded climate fellow

Green Umbrella is launching a new initiative where local governments can have a climate fellow for summer 2024. The embedded person will help communities make better decisions with regards to climate change, community programs, policy implementation, and creating a roadmap for their own community.

Reinventing the membership model

For the last 25 years Green Umbrella has been a membership organization. This year they’re launching new member benefits, an updated membership resource portal, and helping members leverage new funding opportunities and best practices to tackle climate and other environmental issues.

Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit Keynote Speaker Dr. Katharine Wilkinson

Learn more about Green Umbrella

Visit the Green Umbrella website to learn how your organization can join the collaborative or how individuals can make donations to support Green Umbrella’s important work in our community.

Green Umbrella now one of largest climate collaboratives in U.S.

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Source: Movers & Makers

Green Umbrella now one of largest climate collaboratives in U.S.

In an effort to increase its environmental impact, Green Umbrella has expanded to become one of the largest climate collaboratives in the United States. 

A regional climate collaborative is a network of governments, organizations and businesses working together to take decisive action to address climate change. 

Formerly a regional sustainability alliance, Green Umbrella views the transition as an opportunity to broaden the reach and depth of its sustainability and resilience work.

Green Umbrella announced the transition during its annual meeting on Oct. 18 at the University of Cincinnati’s Digital Futures building. The event doubled as a celebration of the organization’s 25th birthday.

Todd Palmeter, CEO of Great Parks of Hamilton County and Green Umbrella's board president.
Todd Palmeter, CEO of Great Parks of Hamilton County, and Green Umbrella’s board president

The launch event featured live music, appetizers, drinks from HighGrain Brewing, locally made apple butter and handmade sourdough bread served by local baker Andrew Fisher and the farmer who grew the grain, John Branstrator.

But the favorite moment for Green Umbrella’s executive director, Ryan Mooney-Bullock, was hearing the audience of roughly 200 people react to the expanded impact the shift to a regional climate collaborative framework will mean.

“Right now, about 325,000 people in our region live in a community with a dedicated roadmap for climate action. But that leaves almost 2 million people who don’t. Green Umbrella’s new programming and member benefits are designed to ensure that all 2.2 million people in our region live in a community that is ready to take decisive action in the face of climate change,” she said.

Mooney-Bullock described the celebration as the culmination of a year’s worth of hard work for Green Umbrella’s staff, its board and various partners to advance the region into its “next stage” of climate change preparation.

“I loved getting to finally talk about what we have been working on for so long, and to hear and feel the excitement and curiosity from our members and partners in the room,” she added.

Ryan Mooney-Bullock (left) stands with Cincinnati City Council member Meeka Owens at Green Umbrella's annual meeting.
Ryan Mooney-Bullock with Meeka Owens, Cincinnati city council member

When Green Umbrella formed in 1998, climate change was nowhere close to being a public topic, said Mooney-Bullock, who joined the organization more than six years ago. Over the past two-and-a-half decades Green Umbrella has worked with governments, nonprofits, educational institutions and businesses to address the most pressing needs facing the region. 

Green Umbrella has brought $2.8 million in grants into the region over the past eight years. Mooney-Bullock said “a lot of that” money has gone back out to partner organizations or local governments to do the work.

Over the past 25 years Green Umbrella has worked across a 10-county region to address climate change and increase regional resilience. During that time the organization worked closely with the city of Cincinnati to develop its citywide climate action plan that covers roughly 300,000 people.

City Council adopted the latest update to the Green Cincinnati Plan earlier this year.

This new expansion into a regional climate collaborative means Green Umbrella now has the capacity to help build a comprehensive regional climate action plan, benefitting residents spread across 15 counties in southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.

Communities, organizations and residents in the Greater Cincinnati region can get involved in the ThriveTogether sustainability playbook by connecting with a new online engagement tool. More  detailed opportunities will be available soon.

“We will use this capacity to both support our members to build their own expertise and capacity and pull in federal funding to advance emissions reduction and equity-focused resiliency efforts throughout our region,” Money-Bullock said.

The Green Umbrella team

There are about 30 regional climate collaboratives across the U.S. Examples include the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, Southeast Florida Climate Change Compact, and Greenest Region Compact.

Greater Cincinnati is now “on the map” as the largest climate collaborative in the country in terms of staff, budget and diversity of programming and resources offered, Mooney-Bullock said. 

Today, Green Umbrella operates a number of programs focused on creating a more sustainable and resilient region. They include the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council, the Cincinnati 2030 District, the Common Orchard Project, Climate Research Incubator, the Greenspace Alliance and the Green Schoolyard Action Network. It also provides support to the Climate Safe Neighborhoods Partnership (a program of Groundwork Ohio River Valley) and Faith Communities Go Green. 

Mooney-Bullock believes becoming a regional climate collaborative will lead to new and additional funding opportunities to support larger-scale climate initiatives as well as improved cross-sector collaboration.

Green Umbrella’s annual operating budget for 2023 is about $2 million, which includes grants funding activities for this year.

Beyond the creation of climate plans, this organizational shift will allow Green Umbrella to create expanded member benefits to its members to help them reach their climate and sustainability goals.

As a group, they’ll work collaboratively over the next several years to tackle big-scale regional projects and policies.

To accommodate the expansion, Green Umbrella recently hired six new staff members to increase the size of its team to 16. New roles include a senior director of programs and climate strategy, a regional climate collaborative manager, a director of development and marketing and a greenspace alliance manager. 

“This clear structure, and our expanded staff team, will allow us to work closely with members to help them achieve their climate and sustainability goals while we work collaboratively towards a resilient, equitable and thriving region,” Mooney-Bullock said.

Green Umbrella

Months after vandalism, Rees E. Price Academy students rebuild their urban garden

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Source: WCPO 9

Months after vandalism, Rees E. Price Academy students rebuild their urban garden

CINCINNATI — Perseverance. Determination. Resolve. These are characteristics students need to learn to thrive in our society.

At Rees E. Price Academy, they are getting those lessons in spades.

About a year ago, several classes participated in a tree-planting ceremony to rebuild the urban canopy and months later we highlighted them as they began to build out an educational garden, to help them learn and to help the community in East Price Hill.

Several months later, vandals struck.

“July is when we’re out of school, and it happened at the end of July. And it was devastating,” said 2nd grade teacher Kimberly Frondorf. “There was some crying but now huge smiles. And you know what? The crying was just a cloud passing by because we are resilient. We persevere. So, we always know we have partners, we can find a way.”

She added that it is important to “help students know, even though things are going to happen to us in life, we persevere. We’re resilient, we try again. If something goes wrong, we try again. And we keep trying.”

In mid-October, after weeks of planning we watched as 2nd and 6th graders worked alongside volunteers to rebuild.

Cynthia Walters with Green Umbrella Green Schoolyards Action Network organized the effort and provided garden supplies

Chris Clements with Imago provided the materials and constructed three 4×8 raised garden beds.

Steve Foltz and several other staff members with the Cincinnati Zoo provided a large amount of soil and an assortment of native plants.

Tony Staubach of Hamilton County R3Source volunteered his time.

Civic Garden Center donated packets of cool weather seeds.

Principal Tiffani Maher said the decision to have the students involved in the rebuild was “very strategic, because they live in the neighborhood, we are a true neighborhood school. All of our students that go to our school live in the East Price Hill area. So, this means by them having apart and rebuilding, they will keep it safe, they will tell all their friends that this is our garden and that we planted this.”

She added that they will come and “show and teach their parents how to grow food and what we do with it while we harvest it. They will share in the harvest and the bounty by eating in school. It’s a huge science…that they can keep with them. We need these kinds of things to show our kids in our urban society that this is normal and this is what we do and we have to do it to keep our area beautiful and sustain ourselves with our own food.”

The school is looking for ways to secure and protect the garden. You can help with a donation to the Rees E. Price Academy Principal Fund.