For information about Capacity Building Initiatives, please contact acupcc@secondnature.org or call 617-722-0036.
Leadership Capacity-Building and Diversity Initiative (2013-14)
A 2-year grant from The Kresge Foundation will enable Second Nature to continue building sustainability capacity and leadership among financially strained and minority-serving higher education institutions. With this funding, Second Nature will strengthen and build on the success of its previous Kresge-funded initiatives, Advancing Green Building in Higher Education and Education for Sustainability Innovation. Under this grant, Second Nature will engage two full-time staff members for a 2-year period to both provide capacity-building opportunities and implementation guidance to minority-serving institutions of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and to expand the network by engaging more institutions in the climate action movement.
Partnership with the American Meteorological Society (2012-17)
To promote the importance of basic climate science education at all colleges and universities, Second Nature has partnered with the American Meteorological Society (AMS). Through the AMS Climate Studies Diversity Project, minority-serving institutions nationwide have the opportunity to participate, free of charge, in a five-day Implementation Workshop in Washington, DC with subsequent support from AMS program staff and instructors teaching in similar academic environments. Read more...
Education for Sustainability Innovation Program (2011)
With the generous support of The Kresge Foundation, Second Nature launched a new phase of its capacity building work in January 2011. This comprehensive "Education for Sustainability Innovation Program" promotes innovation and leadership among financially strained and minority-serving colleges and universities. This program builds on the success of the Advancing Green Building in Higher Education program, which assisted Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and the U.S. Department of Education's Title III and V institutions to "build green" on their campuses. Read more...
Advancing Green Building in Higher Education (2009-10)
In 2009, Second Nature launched an initiative in partnership with The Kresge Foundation, Advancing Green Building in Higher Education, to assist minority-serving institutions, community and technical colleges, and the US Department of Education’s Title III and V institutions to build green on their campuses.
The mission of the Advancing Green Building in Higher Education Initiative was to build the capacity of under-resourced colleges and universities to construct and renovate campus buildings in ways that save money, reduce negative health impacts, and serve as community models for environmentally sustainable design, construction, and operations.
The Campus Green Builder web portal is one of the principal activities within this Second Nature initiative. Read more...