Duluth Superior Area 
Our Grants Support...Sustainable Twin Ports is the result of the We Mean Green group of the Knight Creative Communities Initiative and Sustainable Duluth merging together in 2007. Since then, Sustainable Twin Ports has lead an 18-month pilot project for bringing in Canadian trainers for the first formal U.S. training in The Natural Step framework for sustainability. A total of 13 businesses and organizations completed the Early Adopter Project, creating a strategic sustainability action plan. The Early Adopter Project allowed these organizations to also create a shared language and a strong local network and connections to global sustainability resources, helping the Twin Ports become a model for other communities to follow. A $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation’s John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation’s Community Opportunity Fund will provide transitional support to ensure Sustainable Twin Ports can complete its transition into a stand alone non-profit.Starting in 2010, Sustainable Twin Ports will offer four levels of education and training including: basic sessions teaching the sustainability principles of The Natural Step and how they can apply to everyday decision making, 1-2 day seminars to explore basic sustainability principles, 6-8 month in-depth training similar to the Early Adopter Project, and private customized consulting for business and organizations needing full organizational involvement. “How often do you find the opportunity to improve your community, your environment and your bottom line with one single strategy? We’re seeing all three happen right here in the Twin Ports through innovative sustainability training and collaborative networking - and we’re seeing a growing community-wide commitment to creating a more sustainable Twin Ports,” says Tracy Meisterheim, Early Adopter project coordinator of Sustainable Twin Ports. To learn more, visit Sustainable Twin Port’s website. To see what else the Community Foundation is funding, follow this link.      |
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