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The goal of Community Resilience Informed by Science and Experience (C-RISE) was to build the capacity of coastal communities to support resiliency planning and adaptation actions. To accomplish this the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) worked with an advisory group including representatives from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, Maine Geological Survey, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the cities of Portland and South Portland, Greater Portland Council of Governments, New England Environmental Finance Center, and Axiom Technologies to develop public programming that provided participants with knowledge of and access to local sea level rise data. This program, "Preparing Coastal Communities for Sea Level Rise" is a community education event that built participant knowledge in sea level rise science, future projections, and local impacts. Through visual presentations and facilitated discussions, GMRI brought regional relevancy to global climate data using local history and case studies of past flooding events. Using technology and peer discussions, GMRI staff provided participants with access to interactive data sets and maps that visualized the impacts of sea level rise and weather events on community resources like roads, parks, hospitals, schools, and other valued assets—and how climate projections will increase these impacts over time. Over the course of this grant, GMRI staff facilitated over 60 community events in over 30 coastal communities in Maine, reaching over 2,000 individuals. While many of the participants had heard about sea level rise and storm surge prior to this program, few had internalized what this meant for their own communities. Post-event surveys indicated that participants discussed flooding issues with their families, friends, and neighbors, further examined local sea level rise maps, and engaged with community decision-makers about resiliency planning. GMRI believes that strong and informed representation of citizens is vital to addressing climate challenges and resiliency actions. We continue to leverage this work through various projects as we collaborate with coastal communities to provide them with knowledge, skills, and tools needed to develop community-focused resilience plans for sea level rise.

Climate Resilient Flint seeks to develop climate resilience literacy in Flint, Michigan through neighborhood placemaking projects and green workforce education and training. High urban blight and low climate literacy are expected to leave many of the city’s residents susceptible to anticipated rises in regional summer temperatures and heavy precipitation events. Building on evidence illustrating that social cohesion, education, and a sense of place are key factors in communities’ abilities to adapt to outside shocks or stressors, this project aims to foster climate resilience by engaging underserved and vulnerable neighborhoods in a three-year science-to-civics learning program. Priority neighborhoods will participate in organized deliberative forums to discuss regional climate changes and local impacts before developing plans to repurpose vacant neighborhood lots into spaces that use passive cooling and stormwater management strategies to reduce vulnerability to heat and precipitation. As community members become aware of the connections among climate impacts, climate resilience, and community wellbeing, they will develop the knowledge to further their civic engagement in local social, sustainability, environmental, and climate issues. Additionally, Climate Resilient Flint will develop and teach an environmental literacy and job readiness curriculum for returning citizens with barriers to employment. The Empowerment Through Innovation and Knowledge (EPIK) education program will help participants build a holistic job-seeker profile by complimenting hands-on learning of green infrastructure skills with place-based environmental literacy education embedded within local and regional climate contexts. Through the EPIK curriculum, participants will develop the skills and credentials to advance their competitiveness in Michigan’s green infrastructure job market. With the goal of reducing differential access to education, knowledge, and resources, this project reflects NOAA’s education mission to further equitable environmental literacy and climate resilience capacity by employing active learning and knowledge co-production. Climate Resilient Flint is a collaborative effort between Kettering University, Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint, M.A.D.E. Institute, Neighborhood Engagement Hub, Genesee Conservation District, and NOAA’s Office of Education and Climate Program Office.