Spiars Engineering & Surveying的动态

Together Outdoors Expands Inclusive Micro-Grant Program to Foster Diversity in Outdoor Recreation, Calls for Applications Washington, D.C. – February 21 – Together Outdoors (TO) announced the opening of the application period of its Inclusive Micro-Grant Program, a new initiative aimed at bolstering capacity for small and rural #grassroots organizations that are key to creating a more #inclusive and welcoming outdoor recreation environment. This unique program, in addition to TO’s overall efforts, is made possible thanks to foundational support from THOR Industries, Inc. The 2024 Inclusive Micro-Grant Program is poised to continue the great support started in 2022 and will focus on two key areas: 1. Research + Resources: Financial backing for projects developing research and resources that facilitate inclusion outdoors. This includes the creation of educational toolkits, multimedia content, and translation services to ensure accessibility for all. 2. Activating Change Outdoors: Support for outdoor recreation programming, events, and leadership development initiatives specifically designed to empower communities of color, LGBTQIA+, individuals in underserved regions, people with disabilities, and other intersecting minority groups. Together Outdoors invites grassroots organizations that embody these focus areas and share our vision for a diverse outdoor community to apply for the Inclusive Micro-Grant Program. Organizations are encouraged to apply to the inaugural grant round by March 11, 2024. Application materials should be submitted via email to Ambreen Tariq, Together Outdoors Coalition Lead at [email protected]. To view the application process, timeline and grant reporting requirements visit https://lnkd.in/eY3SS8qa #outdoorrecreationroundtable #microgrant #DiversityInTheOutdoors #togetheroutdoors #submissionsopen

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY Together Outdoors (TO) announced the opening of the application period of its Inclusive Micro-Grant Program, a new initiative aimed at bolstering capacity for small and rural grassroots organizations that are key to creating a more inclusive and welcoming outdoor recreation environment. Recognizing the disparities in traditional grant funding, which often favors large, well-resourced organizations, Together Outdoors Inclusive Micro-Grant Program focuses on enhancing the capabilities of small-scale, community-based groups that serve diverse and underrepresented populations. These organizations are instrumental in bridging the outdoor “adventure gap” but frequently can’t compete for conventional funding due to resource-intensive application and reporting requirements. The 2024 Inclusive Micro-Grant Program will focus on two key areas: ? 1.)???Research + Resources: Financial backing for projects developing research and resources that facilitate inclusion outdoors. This includes the creation of educational toolkits, multimedia content, and translation services to ensure accessibility for all. 2.)???Activating Change Outdoors: Support for outdoor recreation programming, events, and leadership development initiatives specifically designed to empower communities of color, LGBTQIA+, individuals in underserved regions, people with disabilities, and other intersecting minority groups. Applications are due March 11, 2024. https://lnkd.in/eY3SS8qa

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Yesterday, Senator Anderson and Representative Weaver delivered a press conference advocating for funding for the Village of Bishop Hill. This is the same task I will be completing on April 17 at the Illinois Municipal League Lobby Day. Bishop Hill is a small town in Illinois that is designated as a state and national historic site due to its Swedish cultural significance. However, the town is failing.?Right now, the state provides them with an annual budget of $40,000, which isn't enough to repave roads, let alone have an administrative office. Many of their historical sites are in disrepair, and the Illinois DNR won't let the residents fix buildings or repair them themselves. This inspired my grandmother and I to develop a survey.?We reached out to all the small towns in Illinois with a population of under 250. Based on my conversations with town mayors, they have almost identical experiences. Due to a low population, they: - Cannot afford an administrative office, laptops, or internet connection - Cannot afford to pay their town employees - Cannot afford basic maintenance, like repairing roads, buildings, or cemeteries - Cannot afford to pay a grant writer to obtain additional funding for the aforementioned items - Run their towns based entirely on volunteer efforts This is not sustainable. While most of the towns under 250 people are not tourist destinations, they deserve a fighting chance. For many people, these are towns where they grew up, run a business/farm, or have family members. While they do not need to be prioritized to the extent of larger towns a more significant commercial draw, they need a base level of funding to sustain administrative duties for their residents. I will be advocating for common-sense, practical ways to reallocate existing funding toward providing the basics for small towns in Illinois. Please reach out if you want to know how to use our formula for other towns across the country. https://lnkd.in/gqxWDdZ9

After a natural disaster, what is the role of the private sector in shoring up the Arts? DMC director Dr. Sam Staley weighs in on the aftermath of an unprecedented storm that spun off three devastating tornadoes in Tallahassee. In this op-ed, Dr. Staley questions if it is wise that public resources are devoted to rebuilding a market best left to private industry. The aesthetic and uniqueness of Railroad Square would be disrupted by the bureaucracy required with public interference, and the last thing the beloved arts district needs after being so damaged by the storm is for its artistic character to lose the private, individual touch. Read more on Dr. Staley’s thoughts here: https://lnkd.in/eMjEUmwn #dmcfsu #fsu #florida #floridastate #floridastateuniversity #research #policy #publicpolicy #thinktank #naturaldisaster #RailroadSquare #public #funding #publicfunding #private #privateinvestment #privatefunding #arts #creativity #industry #community

Did you know Newton MA was the birthplace of the fig newton? ?? If you live in or are moving to this unrivaled city, check out our Ultimate Guide To Living in Newton MA ?? https://lnkd.in/e6JftzPs Newton MA info - utilities, trash pickup, schools, hospital, facts, trending topics #newtonma #livinginnewtonma #movingtonewtonma #trashpickupnewtonma #newtonmafacts #utilityinformationnewtonma #newtonmaschools #moversnewtonma

Insights below from my urban community landownership research for Community Land Scotland via the Scottish Land Commission I've shared some further conceptual and academic reflections at SRUC Rural Policy Centre's Rural Exchange https://bit.ly/3TvlNRU The Rural Exchange blog explores the similarities and differences in community buyouts across urban and rural Scotland. It raises questions about how we understand, and make policy for, urban and rural land reform, and calls for land reform policy that better accounts for place and space. For example, one finding from the urban project was that funding structures lack flexibility needed to support community-led approaches to vacant and derelict land. Do we have the right balance between rural areas and new areas with different contexts and with different needs? How can rural community solutions be effectively championed nationally, but also evolve to be used in other places? E.g. the expansion in the areas and population that can access support, with no similar increase in the amount of support available (rather, Scottish Land Fund was recently cut). How do we create workable national policy for different contexts, such as a rural island and a city housing estate? This issue led to no urban criteria being including in the draft Land Reform Bill, as the proposed criteria at consultation stage in (datazones) proved untenable. We should be cautious about using rural/urban binaries, which are unhelpfully simplistic but endure. We can better account for place nuance, such as in the NISRIE analytic framework on the geographic rural/urban classification. "Rural" is diverse in itself -- as is "urban". There is also much to be gained by considering shared dynamics across places, as a continuum from sparsely populated rural areas to city centres. Extraction of land value occurs on a rural estate and in a vacant city building. It's clear that land reform policy could do with more transparent thinking about spaces, and how policy is used in places as well.

Interesting thoughts from Carey on the importance of supporting urban land reform including community re-use of vacant and derelict land and the dangers of over simplifying complex places by using urban and rural as catch all terms.

Imagine this: You live in a lively, affordable home. You wake up and cultivate your community garden and gather fresh eggs from the community farm. Then, you come by the community-run school and chat with parents. Now, turn this imagination into a reality! Join the "Cooperative Consciousness Revolution" and learn how to: ?? Apply the Rochdale Principles for democratic, equitable organizations. ?? Design and implement affordable cooperative housing projects. ?? Develop community gardening and farming skills. ?? Establish and run community-owned businesses. ?? Explore models for innovative, community-run schools. Our communities need new leaders. Are you ready to step up? Start transforming your community today:?https://lnkd.in/gaV4-EpZ ? ?? Let’s create thriving, sustainable communities together.