Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
<br />2936 <br />25. Does your project accelerate or <br />expand on existing programs <br />that already show positive <br />impact? <br />Yes. The program employed by Urban Sustainability Solutions <br />(USS) was piloted under the name of BETC (Bionomic Education <br />and Training Center) at Southern School of Sustainability and <br />Engineering <br />(https://www.dpsnc.net/site/Default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&Pa <br />geID=1&ViewID=6446ee88-d30c-497e-9316- <br />3f8874b3e108&FlexDataID=1712) and extended to Northern High <br />School and Lowe’s Grove Middle School in Durham, NC, utilizing <br />Durham public school teachers of non-academic/core classes and <br />their students, the majority of whom were from low-income or <br />marginalized communities. Nearly identical to the program we have <br />outlined here for Orange County, Durham’s BETC program pays <br />students & teachers to design and install stormwater control <br />measures throughout Durham County. and continues to prosper <br />today: https://www.dconc.gov/county-departments/departments-f-z/soil- <br />water-conservation-district/ag-economic/betc-bionomic-educational- <br />training-center. USS Chairman Michael Dupree and board member <br />Linda Schmalbeck (then a science faculty member of the North <br />Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM)) collaborated to <br />develop and implement the curricula at NCSSM, after which <br />Dupree - while working for Durham County - partnered with DPS to <br />incorporate the program into Durham Public Schools: <br />https://www.dconc.gov/county-departments/departments-f-z/soil-water- <br />conservation-district/ag-economic/betc-bionomic-educational-training- <br />center). Dupree also helped create Durham’s Impaired Stream <br />Improvement (ISIP) program (https://www.dconc.gov/county- <br />departments/departments-f-z/soil-water-conservation-district/community- <br />conservation-assistance-program), employing Durham youth for <br />Environmental Services provided to low -income people of color. <br />26. Does your project also take <br />advantage of other funding <br />sources? <br />Yes. We have obtained $120K from the EPA (for 60% cost-share <br />on the bmp’s in the Bolin Creek watershed); we have obtained <br />$10,000 from the Burt’s Bees Foundation to train 7 teachers in <br />Orange County. Because of the nature of this project as a piece in <br />the holistic sustainable stormwater management puzzle that <br />extends throughout the Triangle, the state of North Carolina, and <br />beyond, our synergistic work in neighboring Durham and Wake <br />Counties must also be considered. <br />27. Would your proposed project <br />help you to take advantage of <br />funding from other sources <br />besides this grant in the future? <br />Funding from the OCCCA grant will enable USS to better assist low <br />income households in Orange County in three ways: 1) Leverage <br />EPA funds to be spent in low income areas; 2) Pay teachers, <br />students to job shadow environmental contractors who are <br />installing sustainable stormwater best management practices in <br />Orange County; 3) Allow our organization to use the OCCCA funds <br />as matching funds towards other grants that we are pursuing. <br />28. Please describe any other <br />aspect of your project that is <br />relevant to the efficient use of <br />grant funds: <br />We are a volunteer BOD, and we have volunteers who assist with <br />our programs. We believe in minimizing expenses so that we can <br />offer a greater number of Triangle citizens our services. <br /> <br /> <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 2C2F66C4-424F-4660-AF8A-A623B6D7194E