Stewards VISTA: Energy Communities BB - Rural Action OH Y1

As energy opportunities expand, coal and power facility jobs are declining across the United States. This VISTA project will develop and advance programs that increase environmental awareness and stewardship, job training, employment pathways, and access to existing federal and community resources for low-income individuals living in energy transition communities.

Over the course of our 32-year history of work in this region, Rural Action has developed a theory of change, rooted in the region¿s culture and history, which emphasizes the cultivation of our local assets. The core of our theory of change, our approach to the work focuses on the following five elements: 1) engaging communities of place and communities of interest; 2) learning together; 3) understanding, valuing, and increasing control of our assets; 4) building infrastructure; and 5) connecting to markets. Generations of boom and bust cycles left scars on our landscapes and in our communities. The organization was founded by people who had been fighting against environmental threats, including the impacts of pre-regulatory coal-mining, subsidence from active mines, unregulated dumps, a proliferation of landfills and legacy pollution. The Sustainable Energy Program promotes the rapid, equitable, and adaptive transition to a clean energy economy. Our work prioritizes community well-being, environmental stewardship, and energy independence. Market shifts are changing job opportunities, with an urgent focus on sustainability and new energy. These are largely blue-collar skilled labor positions, with needs similar to former industry jobs, making them attractive to the regional workforce. Rural areas face high energy and transportation burdens as a percent of income. This project will increase capacity for low-income households/communities to lower energy costs, and empower workers to make careers in sustainable employment sectors.