WE ACT’S EPA Region 2 Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center
ABOUT THE TCTAC
On April 13, 2023, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTAC) Program, which provides grant funding to eligible applicants to establish technical assistance centers across the nation providing technical assistance, training, and related support to communities with environmental justice concerns and their partners. The new technical assistance centers will provide training, assistance, and capacity building on writing grant proposals, navigating federal systems such as Grants.gov and SAM.gov, and effectively managing grant funding. These centers will also provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants.
The EJ TCTAC program will coordinate with and complement the United States Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Thriving Communities Initiative that is providing technical assistance and capacity building resources to improve and foster thriving communities through transportation improvements. EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) are partnering on this initial rollout of the program. As a part of DOT’s Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network, the EG TCTAC Program leans into the whole-of-government approach and delivers on the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40 percent of the benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities.
As part of this program, WE ACT for Environmental Justice will receive at least $10 million over the next five years to help environmental justice communities across EPA Region 2 by providing training and other assistance to build capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, and effectively managing grant funding. In addition, we will provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services to help remove barriers and improve accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns. We are one of 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers nationwide that will receive a total of more than $177 million as part of this program.
“We would like to thank Administrator Michael Regan and Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia for this opportunity to help environmental justice communities throughout the region gain access to the funds and other resources needed to address the legacy of environmental racism and disinvestment that has burdened them with environmental health inequities,” said Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “We have assembled a strong team of partners, including the Clean Energy Group, Columbia University Climate School, Environmental Protection Network, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico-Metropolitan Campus, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, New York University School of Law Institute for Policy Integrity, and South Ward Environmental Alliance, and we look forward to launching our Technical Assistance Center in the coming months.”
More Information?
You can request technical assistance here. You can watch the video of our introductory webinar here (and below) and download our launch presentation here (PDF). You can also read about the EPA’s Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center program here as well as its press release announcing the program here. And you can watch the press conference here. If you have any questions, please contact us at ejtctac@weact.org. And sign up here for our email newsletter to stay informed about upcoming trainings and funding opportunities.
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING TRAININGS
CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING FUNDING OPPORTUINITIES
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WE ACT’s EPA Region 2 Technical Assistance Collaborative
Lead Organization:
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Partners:
Environmental Protection Network
Clean Energy Group
Columbia University Climate School
Inter-American University of Puerto Rico-Metropolitan Campus
New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
New York University School of Law Institute for Policy Integrity
South Ward Environmental Alliance