Building on the current strategic plan (2019-2023) for the City of Grand Rapids, which prioritizes sustainability and equity, Catalyst Leadership Circle Fellow Maria Dozier created a suite of training materials. The materials are designed specifically to help prepare Grand Rapids for the Climate Vulnerability Assessment (an evaluation that helps cities identify material and social vulnerabilities to climate change) that will take place in 2023.

Dozier’s training materials, which include guidebooks tailored to municipalities and C4 (Community Collaboration on Climate Change) members, offer guidelines for municipal workers to engage with climate-vulnerable communities, outline strategies for engagement, and investigate barriers and risks to engagement. The project will help advance climate justice awareness and adaptive capacities in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) neighborhoods within the city.

• Location: Grand Rapids, MI
• Project Team: Maria Dozier (Fellow), University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability; Annabelle Wilkinson (Mentor), City of Grand Rapids; Alison Sutter (Mentor), City of Grand Rapids; Rachel Jacobson (Technical Advisor), American Society of Adaptation Professionals

Project Presentation

Other Downloads

• Climate Vulnerability Engagement Training Module for Municipalities
  Customizable presentation template and training guidebook for municipalities educating their leaders on climate vulnerability engagement. Editable presentation template available upon request by emailing [email protected].
• Climate Vulnerability Engagement Training Module for Grand Rapids volunteers
  Customizable presentation and training guidebook for the City of Grand Rapids to use when training their community leaders on climate vulnerability engagement. Includes sample flyer designed for the City of Grand Rapids to aid in the recruitment of climate justice volunteers. Editable presentation template available upon request by emailing [email protected].