Your Name and Title: Kathryn Junco, Associate Librarian
Library, School, or Organization Name: Gwinnett County Public Library
Co-Presenter Name(s): Mahnoor Rattani, Associate Librarian
Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Atlanta, GA
Language in Which You Will Present: English
Target Audience(s): All Ages
Short Session Description (one line):
Creating a resilient and sustainable community by building partnerships that emphasize inclusivity during challenging times.
Full Session Description (as long as you would like):
The Hamilton Mill branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) is LEED certified and devoted to building a stronger and more sustainable community through programming and partnerships that place value on climate change and environmental justice. The branch has recently applied for the ALA’s Resilient Communities Grant, having created detailed plans to take its environmental education efforts even further through exciting programs, new partnerships, and designation as a Climate Resilience Hub - all while dealing with the concurrent challenges of COVID-19 and various forms of societal unrest. Through this initiative Hamilton Mill will expand local partnerships to include the Georgia Climate Project, Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), and build upon existing relationships with local non-profit and volunteer-based organizations such as Gwinnett Recycles and our local high school’s chapter of the National Green Schools Society. We strongly believe that social resilience is vital when it comes to building a strong community; we aim to educate ourselves and the community about extreme weather events and ways that we can work together to promote environmental justice and sustainability, particularly for the low-income, minority, and underserved populations who are disproportionately threatened by climate impacts and marginalized in climate deliberations.
Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session:
https://www.gwinnettrecycles.com/
https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/web/gwinnett/Departments/CommunityServices/ParksandRecreation
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