SUNY New Paltz receives $10,000 Environmental Justice Grant from Second Nature

Second Nature, a nonprofit organization committed to accelerating climate action in, and through, higher education, has awarded a $10,000 Catalyst Grant to the SUNY New Paltz Office of Campus Sustainability to support a new project focusing on including more New Paltz students in programs and activities relating to environmental justice.

The Second Nature Catalyst Grant will bolster the University’s growing commitment to environmental justice initiatives as part of New York State Executive Order 22, which directs state agencies to lead by example on sustainability and decarbonization.

Campus Sustainability Coordinator Lisa Mitten (pictured at left) and Adjunct Faculty Ed Lawson (pictured at right) of the Department of Black Studies will implement this grant with student leaders from the Environmental Justice Team of Sustainability Ambassadors.

Focusing on our diverse student body, Mitten and Lawson will use active listening as part of an effort to better understand the climate and environmental justice challenges members of our community face, as well as their hopes, dreams and aspirations. This listening process will be augmented with institutional research, data analysis, a literature review, and a learning/discovery process structured with the development of an opportunity statement and Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound goals (SMART goals). The goal for this listening and learning process is to set a foundation for co-creating effective and responsive climate/environmental justice actions and programs in the coming decade.

“At SUNY New Paltz, we’ve been incrementally expanding our sustainability work to encompass climate and environmental justice principles, approaches, and practices for many years,” Mitten said. “We are thrilled to have the support of Second Nature’s Catalyst Grant, which will enable us to renew and refocus our efforts on engaging with our diverse students regarding environmental justice on our campus, in our region, and across New York State.”

“This grant is not just a testament to our commitment to environmental justice but a beacon of hope for our community,” Lawson said. “The potential implications of this initiative are vast, and I am genuinely excited about the transformative impact it will bring. Together, we are not only shaping the future of SUNY New Paltz but also setting a precedent for institutions nationwide.”

This significant award comes to SUNY New Paltz following our institution’s designation as a disadvantaged community by the New York State Climate Justice Working Group and as a “potential environmental justice area” by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Governor Kathy Hochul’s Executive Order 22 directed state agencies to address disproportionate adverse environmental impacts that may exist in minority and low-income communities as part of Governor Hochul’s.

This work builds upon years of effort by the Office of Campus Sustainability and its partners interweaving sustainability and justice goals. Highlights of our past work include:

The Global Goals for Sustainable Development articulate social and economic equity and justice goals side by side with environmental goals such as climate action and responsible consumption and production.

Adding explicitly justice-inclusive sustainability frameworks into our Sustainability Faculty Learning Community professional development curriculum, including the Principles of Environmental Justice and Julian Agyeman’s “Just Sustainabilities”, just transition, and indigenous perspectives.

In spring 2023, the seventh year of the Sustainability Faculty Learning Community, our Fellows focused on Environmental Justice as a sustainability framework and learned from grassroots community and civic leaders in Newburgh advancing health, wellness, and environmental justice.

The creation of an Intersectional Environmentalism Sustainability Ambassador Team and an Environmental Justice Team within the Office of Campus Sustainability network of student leaders.

 Get more information online about SUNY New Paltz’s campus sustainability programs.