Take Action!

The Village Bank and the City of Newton have awarded the first two grants under their new Climate Change Microgrant Project. Launched in October, the project is designed to support local advocates undertaking initiatives to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Village Bank and the City each contributed $2,500 to the project for one year. It will be continued if there is sufficient interest from advocates. Grants of $250 to $1,000 are available.
The first award ($250) went to Andy Gluck, the Underwood School’s building aide and Green Team leader, to expand the school’s composting program. The grant will support the purchase of stainless steel composting units for each classroom. The Underwood program includes instruction about the benefits of composting.

The second award ($1,000) went to Pete Prokesch of the Studio for High Performance Design and Construction (Studio HPDC) in Newton. Along with other generous donations, the microgrant will help support the creation of a new six-week course at Newton North High School called the High-Performance Building for Carpenters Series. The course will provide students with education and hands-on training for sustainable construction practices.

To learn more about the microgrant program or to submit an application, go to the City’s Climate Sustainability webpage.