Category: Events

Celebrating Earth Day’s 50th solar return

Posted on by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: Millvale neighbors work together in the community garden.

By Zaheen Hussain, Director of Sustainability

The first Earth Day was celebrated 50 years ago today. With COVID-19, I think we can all agree that this is perhaps one of the strangest Earth Weeks in the all the years we have observed this occasion.

Many of us with the privilege of being able to telework are settling into our routine after a month. Many of us who cannot work at home are counting our blessings and heading into our workplace in protective clothing, knowing we must fulfil our roles as essential workers with full courage on display. Then there are many of us who neither have the privilege of telework nor the status of essential worker, and with very limited aid, are struggling to make ends meet and are reliant on the goodwill of our neighbors to be able to put food in our bellies. Times are tough and Earth Day is the last thing on many of our minds.

While it feels like the fabric of our global society is being stretched to its furthest limits and the impact of this virus leaves a sense of walls closing in around us, fear not, for there are lessons to learn from the rock we call Earth, our home.

The biggest lesson the Earth can teach us in this moment is resilience. Okay, okay, I know, for those of us in the sustainability field, resilience carries an air of cliché. This next part gets a little dense, but bear with me.

The solar panels on top of the Millvale Community Center.

It is irrefutable that in the past ~200 years of our ~300,000 year existence, humans have created a shocking amount of environmental damage. We have left behind the Holocene, the epoch in which we developed as a species, and have entered a whole new epoch, the Anthropocene, characterized by both anthropogenic climate change as well as the geomorphological traces we will leave behind alongside our fossil record (roads, skyscrapers, mines, houses, you get the picture).

Despite this, scientists can say with confidence that human impact pales in comparison to the experiences our planet touts on its resumé. Earth has been a ball of fire. Earth has been a ball of ice. There have been extinction level volcanic explosions. There have been extinction level asteroids. Earth may have even been crashed into by another planet, the satellite remnants of which we can still see every day, lovingly calling it Moon.

All this to say, every time the earth has been knocked down, it has gotten back up, bold and beautiful, steadfast in its journey around the Sun and the Universe. It takes its punches, recalibrates and keeps moving, often in an existence that shares little resemblance to its prior state.

On this historic Golden Jubilee Earth Day, we can all learn from Earth’s lesson on resilience. When it feels like all the world’s weight is on our shoulders; when it feels like a cosmic body is smashing through our lives like a bull in a china shop, remember that we are all interconnected as a part of this world and we all share the spirit of resilience, baked into our existence.

Earth Day, after all, is more about us than it is about Earth. It’s about making sure that we respect and contribute to the balance of our ecosystems, not just because it’s “good for our planet,” but because if we don’t, we will work ourselves out of the environment in which we came to be, no longer able to survive as a species. 

In that same spirit, let’s continue to be there for each other in our time of need, because our individual resilience is woven into the fabric of our societal resilience. When one of us falls, we all fall a little bit. When we lift up those around us, we all rise a little bit. 

Donate to your local food pantry if you can. Volunteer from physical distance if you can. If you have a friend or neighbor in need, check in on them; see if there is something you can do to help them move through the storm. Make some masks if you can. Share some good news when you find it. Most importantly, take care of yourself. Go for a walk. Cook a delicious meal. Take a breath of fresh air (at least six feet away from a stranger though). Enjoy a hike in a nearby park. Go stargazing — with everyone driving less and there being less smog, the stars are brighter than ever! Ultimately, here’s to you, our resilient neighbor!

From the New Sun Ring team, we wish you all a great Earth Day today and every day!

New Sun Rising announces 2020 Vibrancy Awardees

Posted on by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

This year, New Sun Rising’s (NSR) Vibrancy Awards will honor Brown Mamas, Triboro Ecodistrict, and South Hilltop Men’s Group/Hilltop Rising LLC for cultivating Culture, Sustainability, and Opportunity in their communities. 

Each will receive $5,000 in unrestricted funds to be used to support their continual work and create stability within their communities as they cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Our administrators are brainstorming some ways to help Black mothers in the wake of COVID-19. Right now, we’d really like to focus on first responders and moms who’ve lost employment,” said Muffy Mendoza, Executive Director for Brown Mamas.

Honorees were selected from a list of nominees by a committee of NSR staff and board. Having begun in 2019, the awards support the exceptional work of organizations evaluated by the criteria of New Sun Rising’s Vibrant Communities strategies. This year’s awardees were also chosen based upon their history of meeting critical needs of vulnerable populations.

“The three awardees are nothing short of community heroes. They fearlessly take on risk and put in the work, time and ingenuity to inspire lives and places that have faced marginalization. By relating their own lived experience and talents to their respective causes, they are champions and leaders of their communities that will have a lasting impact,” said Katie Grimm, Board of Directors Vice Chair of New Sun Rising.

Last year, over 170 nonprofit and small business leaders benefited through the capacity building support of NSR’s Ignite workshops, Launch incubators, and Grow residency programs. NSR also made $1.9 million of critical, early stage funding more accessible through fiscal sponsorship, grant, loan, and award programs. 

Recently, NSR provided up to $5,000 to 24 small businesses and nonprofits that demonstrated critical economic needs due to COVID-19 through the Crisis Mitigation Relief Fund, thanks to $100,000 in seed funding from the Hillman Foundation.

Due to social distancing precautions, NSR is evaluating options for the annual celebration and fundraiser, which was originally scheduled for the summer solstice on June 20 this year. The 2020 Vibrancy Awards are made possible through the support of our Impact Award Sponsors: UPMC Center for Engagement and Inclusion, BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA, and Jack Buncher Foundation.

 

About New Sun Rising

New Sun Rising supports nonprofits and small businesses to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that people and communities hold the knowledge and power to make positive change. We envision a future where regenerative community development practices create the conditions for true social, environmental, and economic justice. 

About Brown Mamas

Brown Mamas is a brand, a blog and a community that reaches over 5,000 women in the Pittsburgh region and more than 10,000 women nationally. It was created by Muffy Mendoza in 2012 to provide positive socialization opportunities to Black mothers and connect moms with resources and information that helps them raise happy, healthy adults.

About Triboro Ecodistrict

A partnership between New Sun Rising, Etna Economic Development Corporation, and Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization, the Triboro Ecodistrict promotes coordinated sustainable community development throughout the Boroughs of Millvale, Etna and Sharpsburg. With over 10,000 residents combined, these Allegheny River Towns are building on a strong collaborative history to promote sustainable community development through the shared lenses of: Equity, Food, Water, Energy, Air Quality, and Mobility.

About South Hilltop Men’s Group/Hilltop Rising LLC

The South Hilltop Men’s Group is a non-profit project of New Sun Rising, directed by Beltzhoover native Jmar Bey. The organization was founded in 2015 by Jmar and Christian Nowlin. They provide job training, employment opportunities and promote environmental protection through community programs that teach sustainable practices. Since 2015, the South Hilltop Men’s Group has been working to support the responsible and inclusive revitalization of Pittsburgh. The organization’s mission statement is, “Creating hope and opportunity for those who have little.”

Triboro, Etna celebrate EcoDistricts certification

Posted on by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: Mary Ellen Ramage, Etna Borough Manager, speaking with attendees of the 2019 EcoDistricts Summit about the future ECO Park during the Triboro Ecodistrict neighborhood tours.

In early November during the 10th Annual EcoDistricts Summit, the Borough of Etna became the world’s first certified EcoDistrict, a feat that Borough Manager Mary Ellen Ramage never thought possible because “it’s not something you ever think about.”

“Never in my life did I dream that I would be part of anything that was the first in the world,” Ramage said. 

Through a proclamation presented by Etna Mayor Tom Rengers, this Wednesday, December 11 will be recognized as Etna EcoDistrict Day, which coincides with the sold out EcoDistrict Celebration at Fugh Hall where the Triboro Ecodistrict partnership will be honored and Etna will publicly launch its EcoDistrict Plan.

Before embarking on the certification process, the borough already had a focus on sustainable practices including its Green Infrastructure Master Plan, Storm Water Management, and Green Streetscape projects, but the community’s interest in ecodistricts began in late 2016 at the EcoDistricts Micro-Incubator in Millvale.

Led by Triboro Ecodistrict Director Brian Wolovich and Millvale Sustainability Coordinator Zaheen Hussain, the micro-incubator informed participants of the EcoDistrict Protocol, how it worked when Millvale began the process in 2012, and practiced visioning sustainable development using the Protocol. Etna Community Organization (ECO) Board Member and borough resident Robert Tuñón said he and Mayor Rengers attended the workshop together.

“Both Etna and Millvale were making great strides in their physical improvements, but Tom knew the Ecodistrict movement in Millvale was catalytic in getting people to stay involved and volunteer,” Tuñón said. 

They left the micro-incubator and shared their knowledge with a small group of municipal and resident leaders, and started gathering information to create an asset based map that identified the positive things already happening in the community and how they could be built upon. Tuñón said these small meetings continued and slowly grew to around 40 residents before the initial public meeting in March 2018 that had over 100 people in attendance.

“We were shocked at the ability to have a grassroots movement start in the community with very little resources,” Tuñón said. “At the time we had no funding.”

Just a few months after the first public meeting, Etna received funding from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation through its partnership with the Triboro Ecodistrict, which also includes Millvale and Sharpsburg. The financial backing advanced Etna’s efforts and allowed them to hire evolveEA and begin an educational series that addressed a key component on the path to becoming an EcoDistrict: offer multiple rounds of opportunities for the community to give input and engage in the planning process, demonstrating that it’s an equitable plan.

Ramage said the educational series, a total of 35 public events, was “one of the most amazing things about the EcoDistrict process” and that she was “mesmerized” by residents engagement.

“People aren’t given enough credit,” Ramage said. “They just need an opportunity to learn and see how they can help and how they can be part of the change. It’s empowering.”

Including equity, communities pursuing the certification must address two other imperatives including “resilience with a broad lens that prepares for social, economic and environmental shocks and stresses,” and climate protection by building “a pathway to carbon neutrality,” according to the EcoDistricts website.

Tuñón said with the leadership of Alexis Boytim, Director of Etna Community Organization, three reports were submitted to EcoDistricts covering Equity, Resilience, and Climate Protection. 

After the third report was submitted, Boytim had a call with the national organization and that’s when she was informed that Etna was on track to become the first certified EcoDistrict. 

“We didn’t realize that would ever be a possibility,” Boytim said. “When we found out, we were excited of course, but recognized that we wouldn’t have been able to do that or even be where we are without the work done before us and [the partnership with the] Triboro.”

Tuñón echoed Boytim and said the Etna EcoDistrict would not have been imaginable without the guidance from Brian Wolovich in Millvale, Brittany Reno in Sharpsburg, and Mary Ellen in Etna.

“They were able to teach us from their lessons learned and pass those on to us, so in many ways some of the success we feel we’ve had was based on building off their experiences,” Tuñón said. “It all ties together.” 

A few projects on the horizon for Etna are the creation of the Etna Community Library and the Etna EcoPark planned for 37 Grant Ave. where a blighted building once stood and is now a vacant lot that the borough recently acquired. 

These projects are two reminders that the EcoDistrict certification is just the beginning. Over time, Etna must complete certain goals they set for themselves, track the boroughs progress, and report transparently to the national organization on how they’re doing, Tuñón said.

“The hard work starts now, but it’s work that you understand will make a difference far into the future,” Ramage said. “You have to leave it better than you found it… and that’s what EcoDistrict is all about.”

 

You might see varying forms of capitalization when exploring the idea of an ecodistrict in your community. This is intentional, and they each have their own meaning:

  • “ecodistrict” refers to the concept in the field of urban planning that integrates ecologically-sound practices with sustainable community development.
  • “Ecodistrict” refers to a specific community that is engaged in developing an ecodistrict. 
  • “EcoDistricts” refers to the parent organization that formulated and published the official Protocol and oversees a certification process. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon.

Click here to learn more.

SVP Pittsburgh Announces Nonprofits for Special Alumni Fall Pitch Event

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

Pittsburgh, PA: Today SVP Full Circle, Pittsburgh’s impact accelerator for nonprofits, announced the five Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organizations that were selected for their Fall pitch event on December 18, 2019 from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at The Alloy Studios (5530 Penn Ave).

RSVP for the SVP Full Circle Alumni Pitch

The nonprofits selected for this special alumni edition include: 

  • Allegheny Youth Development has a mission is to educate, equip and empower our inner-city youth to reach their God-given intellectual, social, physical and spiritual potential. (2015 SVP alumni)
  • Assemble envisions diverse neighborhoods of empowered people who create, connect, learn, and transform together. Assemble builds confidence through making by uniting communities of artists, technologists, makers, and learners. (2017 SVP alumni)
  • Hope Haven Farm rescues abused and neglected farm animals and educate the public on animal welfare. (2017 SVP alumni)
  • Never Fear Being Different (NFBD) NFBD’s mission is leverage the shift in modern media to amplify social impact in the digital. (2017 SVP alumni)
  • Providence Connections strengthens families and enriches lives through comprehensive education and developmental opportunities for parents and children. (2018 SVP alumni)

Leigh Solomon Pugliano, SVP Pittsburgh’s Full Circle Nonprofit Accelerator Manager shares that, “The Alumni Pitch Event is an opportunity for us to provide a platform for nonprofit leaders to share their stories, advocate for their mission, and gain the additional resources needed to do their best work.”

Attendees will learn about the impact that these innovative nonprofits are having on their communities and opportunities to support their work. The SVP Pittsburgh Board of Directors will share a brief update on the strategic direction of the organization. There will also be plenty of time to network with SVP Partners, who are private sector professionals that contribute their skills, expertise, networks and finances to enhance nonprofit impact.

About SVP Pittsburgh: Social Venture Partners (SVP) Pittsburgh is a growing community of engaged philanthropists who contribute their expertise, skills, networks and finances to grow the impact of nonprofits and tackle our community’s greatest challenges. SVP Pittsburgh is committed to prioritize Inclusion, Collaboration, and Impact in all of their work.

Grow Pittsburgh celebrates a decade of community garden support

Posted on by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Grow Pittsburgh celebrated 10 years of their Community Garden Program with Garden Get Down on August 29 at Grist House Craft Brewery in Millvale. Since 2010, they’ve supported 100 gardens, engaged over 2,000 individuals, and grown over 300,000 pounds of food.

During the event, tours were given of the Gardens of Millvale, one of the first Community Garden projects facilitated by Grow Pittsburgh,

“I think a big reason I’m [at this event] is because Grow Pittsburgh has done so many amazing projects all over the city and the fact that Millvale is one of their first is a big deal,” said Maya Guerin.

Guerin, a professional landscape gardener and environmental art educator, moved to Millvale three years ago. Over time she became heavily involved working in the community gardens and they have proved to be an incredible resource for her connection to the community.

That view was echoed by Katie Grauer who moved to Pittsburgh about the same time Guerin moved to Millvale. Grauer and her husband started their Pittsburgh journey in the southern region, but recently bought a house in Point Breeze.

“We took awhile to figure out where we could have a garden and where to dump compost,” Grauer said. “We connected with a [Grow Pittsburgh] gardener [in our area] and started volunteering with our local garden.”

Grauer said since that time they have been supporters of the organization; her husband now works for Grow Pittsburgh and both “love the culture” permeated by the org.

It’s a model recognized by Sustainable Pittsburgh, a nonprofit making moves in municipalities to address underserved communities and Program Manager Jim Price came out to support the Garden Get Down because he believes “urban agriculture is a great way to increase a community’s sustainability.”

“It provides local food access, lowers your carbon footprint, and engages community members,” Price said.

Price has been working with the Triboro Ecodistrict before it was defined as such, and said Etna, Millvale, and Sharpsburg “exemplify what is means to rebound from tough situations.” From flooding and population loss, the boroughs have moved forward and redefined sustainable neighborhood engagement.

“We hope that our collaboration with the ecodistrict process can help leverage it and make this a region wide effort to improve our area and become a model for community development,” Price said.

To learn more about community gardens in the Triboro Ecodistrict, stop by the following locations for a visit: The Gardens of Millvale, 12 Butler St, Millvale, PA 15209; The Garden of Etna, 9 Short Alley, Etna, PA 15223; Sharpsburg Community Garden, 1212 Main St, Sharpsburg, PA 15215″

ONS Mini-Grant applications being accepted now through 2020

Ignite Northside
Posted on by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: Melanie Sandoval reads with Aaron, a student from Spring Hill Elementary School involved in the after school reading program the Comic Book Shop, which received a 2018 ONS Mini-Grant.

Sometimes a lot of funding is needed to get a project off the ground, and sometimes it isn’t.

For those small-scale community projects, New Sun Rising’s One Northside Mini-Grants are back. Created to support community members in their efforts to elevate their neighborhoods, Northsiders can apply to receive $1,000 in funding to support initiatives that strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and activate significant places in their community.

Applications will be released on August 1, 2019, accepted on an ongoing basis, and reviewed bi-monthly. Deadlines to submit applications is 11:59 p.m. on: August 31, 2019; October 31, 2019; January 30, 2019; March 31, 2020; May 31, 2020 based on the availability of funds.

One Northside Mini-Grants will be announced in September 2019, November 2019, February 2020, April 2020, and June 2020.

Grant recipients may also receive additional support through New Sun Rising and the One Northside Mini-Grant Street Team to develop their project and secure additional resources. Applications are currently being accepted for those who would like to join the Street Team; they must be Northside residents and will support community members in their efforts to advance the ONS vision.

Members of the Street Team will receive a stipend of $1,500 and must be able to commit 60 hours in total, including training, throughout the months of August, September, October, November in 2019 and February 2020. Individuals of the Street Team are expected to educate and support community members about ONS Mini-Grants and help submit applications, as well as communicate the mini-grant program with residents and program partners individually and at neighborhood events.

Individuals who are awarded mini-grants may be able to find additional funding through ioby, which gives local leaders the ability to crowdfund the resources they need to build real, lasting change from the ground up. Pittsburghers specifically have raised over $500,000 for community programs. Currently, the ioby One Northside Crowdfunding Challenge will double donations to Northside projects.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend Information Workshops to meet with New Sun Rising staff and the One Northside Mini-Grant Street Team to learn more about the application process. Additionally, the Street Team will be available for informal meet-ups at community locations as requested. Check the schedule online at www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside  for workshop locations, dates, and times. Contact New Sun Rising staff with your inquiry or other questions by phone (412) 407-9007 or email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. If you’re interested in hosting an information session in your neighborhood, please let us know.

Interested applicants are invited to attend the One Northside Community Project Support Slam Kickoff event from 6-8 p.m. on August 21 to honor past grantees and share information about ONS and ioby. Location is to be decided and updates will be posted on New Sun Rising’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

New Sun Rising is also seeking up to five community members to serve on the Mini-Grant Evaluation Committee, which will review applications virtually and meet six times over the coming year to discuss and approve them.

Those interested in becoming a member of the ONS Mini-Grant Street Team can send their resume or questions to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. This email can also be used to contact NSR for those interested in being on the Mini-Grant Evaluation Committee.

The preferred method to submit mini-grant applications is online at www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside.

Printed applications will be accepted at the Allegheny and Woods Run Carnegie Libraries during normal business hours and by postal mail. Individuals can also submit their application as attachments to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must end by August 1, 2020.

Music festivals strengthen cultural appreciation and community connections

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

The celebration of culture manifests in different ways, and on May 11 two Pittsburgh events will share the day to showcase local and international cultures through music and food: Pittonkatonk Mayday Brass BBQ & Potluck and the Millvale Music Festival.

While each has its own distinctive experience, these two events were created to be a platform for people to come together, highlight, and honor their communities.

Pittonkatonk

Officially dubbed Pittonkatonk in 2014, the festival was started to answer the call of HONK! in Cambridge, Mass. That three-day festival brings together brass bands from all over the country to celebrate community, music, and activism. Not only did it inspire Pete Spynda to start a Pittsburgh HONK! festival (Pittsburgh+HONK=Pittonkatonk), but there are also HONK! festivals in Seattle, Detroit, Austin, and over seas in Australia and Brazil.

“We gave ours a different spin and made it into a potluck,” Spynda said. “We also celebrate the justice organizations and activism for a day of celebration [instead of three].”

Unofficially, Pittonkatonk began as a party with What Cheer Brigade in a garage in Highland Park with around 100 people. As attendance rose each year and the event grew in popularity, the decision was made to move to the Vietnam Veteran’s Pavilion in Schenley Park. Last year there were over 5,000 people in attendance.

“I think Pittonkatonk really conveys true community spirit,” Spynda said.

For the potluck, hundreds of people bring a dish to share. The recipes usually tell an origin story of their own as participants are bringing their famous potato salad or their grandmother’s pierogi recipe, which in turn has “people from different backgrounds breaking bread together and listening to music from all over the world,” Spynda said.

This year out of the 16 ensembles, four are international and coming into Pittsburgh from Peru, Macedonia, Canada, and Cuba. Spynda said he is able to help pay for artists’ flights through grants, which is one of the elements New Sun Rising has been able to assist with since connecting with Pittonkatonk in 2014.

“They’ve really helped me and Pittonkatonk as an organization evolve in the sense of establishing a concrete foundation for what we are doing,” Spynda said.

The resource tent is one initiative that Pittonkatonk and NSR are collaborating on this year to represent and share information on over a dozen social justice organizations. And new to the event is the Artivist Greenhouse where Pittonkatonk will commission three Pittsburgh artists to write new songs in collaboration with social justice organizers. This project was created to encourage artists to form deep working relationships with environmental and social justice organizations that work to clean our air and water, support immigrants, and prevent displacement.

On May 10, the night before Pittonkatonk, there is a Youth Showcase at Salem’s Event Center from 6-8 p.m. presented by Remake Learning and the Grable Foundation. Ben Barson, member of Afro Yaqui Music Collective, has participated in Pittonkatonk for several years and works closely with the teens in the organizations education program to prepare for the performances. The teens participate with the performers during Pittonkatonk, but this is the first time there is an event specifically for youth involved in the event.

“It’s a beautiful opportunity for them to learn how to improvise, take risks, and perform in front out thousands of people,” Barson said.

Spynda said that for the past several years, City Council has declared the date the festival is held on as “Pittonkatonk Day,” but he hopes in the future the event could be presented by the City of Pittsburgh as well.

Millvale Music Festival

It’s around this time, after the band submissions have closed for Millvale Music Festival, that mayhem ensues, said Co-Founder Paul Bossung, Jr.

“We’ll book over 200 acts for this year, but over 460 have applied,” Bossung said.

The festival, now entering its third year, will have 22 stages set up throughout Millvale and 15 different businesses and organizations are involved with the event in some way.

The borough’s population almost doubles in size during the festival, which is a great opportunity for Millvale to show the opportunities is has to offer for potential future residents or small businesses. Last year, the festival brought over 5,000 visitors through Millvale.

“We have great breweries and businesses like Steel City Salt Company,” Bossung said. “There is so much opportunity here and you start to see the younger crowd appreciate that while their walking around [the festival].”

In 2018, Bossung said Sedgwick Street was strewn with artists who were performing live to accompany the bands playing. He hopes to continue that setup this year, and although he wasn’t able to confirm the details yet, Bossung hinted at the potential for a larger and reoccurring community art project.

The festival has also made some technological strides this year and will have televisions in each venue so event attendees can get live updates on the bands and shuttle schedules.

Bossung said what he believes makes this event unique is the amount of live performances happening within a five to ten minute walk, and also the places around Millvale where bands will be performing including the Millvale Food + Energy Hub at the former Moose lodge.

“Visitors get the chance to wander around town all day and to see all of the places that are unique and special to Millvale,” Bossung said.

Awards ceremony honors organizations with $30,000 for excellence in building Vibrant Communities

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

The roots of New Sun Rising’s history are embedded in the belief that advocating for culture, sustainability, and opportunity will cultivate Vibrant Communities.

Strengthening Culture allows a community to build awareness for shared values that in turn creates trust and identity. Promoting Sustainability and designing for environmental impacts strengthens the health of our people, planet, and economy. And creating Opportunity closes the opportunity gap through knowledge, connections, and resources for equitable growth.

There are three organizations that have individually exemplified these pillars of the Vibrant Communities Framework, and on Friday, March 1 they will be celebrated for their achievements at the Ace Hotel Pittsburgh for New Sun Rising’s first ever Vibrancy Awards.

Global Wordsmiths, PearlArts Studios, and Millvale Community Library will each receive $10,000 for their excellence in creating vibrancy throughout the region.

Mary Jayne McCullough, executive director of Global Wordsmiths, said she isn’t used to getting recognition for the type of work her organization does and winning the award for embodying Opportunity was “really validating.”

McCullough is a trained translator and interpreter, and for years she worked with social service providers to help immigrants and refugees navigate daily life like trips to the doctor or a parent teacher conference. The need for interpretation was so great that McCullough also spent much of her free time accompanying people to these appointments, which led her to ask why hospitals and organizations were not already providing this service.

The biggest reason was cost, and thus Global Wordsmiths was created by McCullough to provide nonprofits with free language translation and interpretation, as well as language access consulting and training. Every dollar of profit earned by Global Wordsmiths goes back into the organizations and is used to finance its innovative Social Impact Initiatives.

“[New Sun Rising is] really focused on getting results and on creating opportunity, which is what we’re trying to do, so there is a lot of syngergy in our missions,” McCullough said. “It’s great to work with people who also want to create positive change.”

The award for Culture goes to PearlArts Studios, an organization that defines itself as a dance company and a nonprofit. STAYCEE PEARL and Soy Sos, co-executive directors of PearlArts, started the company in 2010 and since the beginning they have worked to collaborate with cultural organizations and individual artists.

From 2010 to 2013, the STAYCEE PEARL dance project was the resident dance company at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, the first long-term KST resident. It was there that PEARL and Soy Sos set the tone for high-quality and diverse representation of dance for the community theater. Being able to use the time, space and resources provided by the KST allowed PearlArts to solidify their mission, aesthetic, and reputation, and when the residency ended the company premiered as an investigation of race, gender, and personal identity in relation to conversations around Post-Blackness in fine and performing arts.

PEARL said the company started working with New Sun Rising almost five years ago, and during the early years the guidance they received was “amazing.” She also said that the company is currently part of NSRs Grow Residency program, which “feels like we’re moving into another phase of our existence and expanding in different directions that we didn’t expect to.”

As for the Millvale Community Library, the award for Sustainability is also well deserved. Its doors officially opened in 2013, and since that time the library has been designated as a Sustainable Small Business through its actions and leadership that promotes environmental stewardship as well as financial stability.

Originally fiscally sponsored by New Sun Rising, MCL started as a children’s library in 2008. The community that came together to build the library initiated the larger community conversation about what sustainability and resiliency meant to the people of Millvale, and the library now leads a movement towards education and equity in those realms. Not only has that resulted in the award winning Millvale EcoDistrict Pivot 1.0 and 2.0 Plans, but also tangible projects that improve the quality of life for citizens such as a rain garden to retain storm water, a tool lending library, paid teen solar fellowships, free access to high-speed internet, and a solar installation which saves money while reducing their carbon footprint.

Brian Wolovich, founder and current board member of the MCL, said that at the beginning, having the support of New Sun Rising was critical to their success.

“We were able to focus on immediate tasks like acquiring and renovating our building, strengthening relationships, and providing youth and GED test preparation programming to our community, while NSR provided financial management, operations, and strategic support.”

In partnership with NSR, the MCL has inspired a sustainable future for residents and leaders in Millvale, and their upstream neighbors in Etna and Sharpsburg, and downstream into Beaver County.

For more information on the Vibrancy Awards and to purchase tickets, click here. A “pay what you can” has been included so that cost is not a barrier. The Vibrancy Awards are made possible by the generous support of the Henry L. Hillman Opportunity Fund, and sponsored by Buchanon Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Neighborhood Allies, BNY Mellon, Crawford Ellenbogen, Robert Morris University Massey Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, First National Bank, Walker Philanthropic Consulting, and Innovation Works.

Idea Round-Up activates Etna’s EcoDistrict vision

Posted on by Scott Wolovich
By: Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Over a year of monthly meetings for the Etna EcoDistrict Community Education Series led to five groups of borough residents and cohorts receiving $2,000 each to fund their projects during the EcoDistrict Idea Round-Up on January 9.Teams were guided by seasoned mentors and each had a dedicated focus on air, mobility, water, energy, or food, and all were required to incorporate equity. Those involved in project planning had been engaged with Etna’s EcoDistrict process in some way since January 2018 when the community education series began.

Etna EcoDistrict Fellow Alexis Boytim said that building equity, the common thread among all the projects, “was represented by a focus on community education and engagement, which is essential to empowering people.”

For example, the air quality team chose to create an educational event that will accompany the future tree planting in Clarence Fugh Memorial Park. In 2017, trees had to be removed because of disease and recently the borough received a $50,000 grant from the Allegheny County Health Department Clean Air Fund to replace the trees. The event will debut signage with information about the trees and the import role they play in preventing pollution.

Jessica Jankowski, Etna’s economic development coordinator, chose to work with the air quality team during the Idea Round-Up because she believes that “especially in our region, air quality is a bigger beast” with Allegheny County ranked among the poorest air in the nation.

Brian Wolovich, Triboro Ecodistrict Director for New Sun Rising, said this was the first time Etna residents received funding to implement their ideas and it’s meant to act as a “small win” while the EcoDistrict planning continues.

“Some residents understand that projects can take two years of planning before [results] occurs, and others need to see something quicker to know a process is worth while,” Wolovich said.

Boytim said 2019 will be “dedicated to following more of the EcoDistrict Protocol” and more community meetings to ensure Etna residents continue to be engaged in developing the best EcoDistrict plan for their community.

The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 6 at Fugh Hall, 27 Crescent St. During the evening, six education booklets will be distributed that focus on air, energy, equity, food, mobility, and water.

EcoDistricts Foundation Course hosted at the Millvale Moose

Posted on by Scott Wolovich

New Sun Rising was proud host the day-long EcoDistricts Foundations Course
on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017 at our HQ, The Millvale Moose, presented in partnership with The Millvale Ecodistrict, evolveEA, Green Building Alliance, Sustainable Pittsburgh and
Carnegie Mellon University. The course, facilitated by the Portland-based urban
planning and consulting group, “empowers urban development practitioners to achieve
ambitious performance outcomes in equity, resilience, and climate protection” and took
place from 9am to 4pm, drawing local and regional sustainability leaders for a day of
education, networking, and training that would prepare them in their pursuit of
EcoDistricts Certification via their AP Exam. In addition to the day-long presentation, a
45-min walking tour of the Millvale Ecodistrict was included as part of the course.

From the EcoDistricts website, “The course covers the EcoDistricts Protocol including
commitments to imperatives in the areas of equity, resilience and climate protection;
formation of a governance structure; development of a roadmap; and ongoing
performance reporting. It outlines core requirements of EcoDistricts Certified. Case
studies address lessons learned from early EcoDistricts projects and interactive working
sessions allow attendees to apply EcoDistrict concepts to a hypothetical district.”

Participants from across disciplines and organizations, both local, and regional attended
the EcoDistricts Foundations course. Many will go on to seek certification through the
AP Exam, though other motivators came to the surface as we sat down to debrief with
participants at the end of the day. Professional development, civic participation, and
personal interest, to name a few were among the driving forces for attendance.

Edward Hill works in Portland, Oregon and is currently 60 days into his on-boarding
with EcoDistricts. He says that he plans to take the Certification exam, which is an
open-book test. His interest in the field of sustainability is multifaceted, “It allows me to
serve both the community and myself, because this is also a personal passion.” He
believes in the EcoDistricts model and its ability to foster innovation within communities
because it functions “at the intersection of equality and community development.”

Mary Ellen Ramage is the Borough of Etna Manager and, after attending the
Foundations course, is now considering taking the certification exam. Sharpsburg and
Etna have a history of working together and have build upon multi-municipal
comprehensive planning with partners in Millvale, to create the “Triboro Ecodistrict”. She
notes that Etna is already pursuing many of these approaches in their community
planning but that this Foundation course has opened up her view to “a more formal
process for sustainable development that is encouraging.” Mary Ellen adds that, “this is
her passion and the lack of capacity is the main roadblock to doing more of it, but
making connections and a local network like this really helps to actualize and expedite
more of these projects.”

Miriam Parson, Pittsburgh Action Strategist for ioby, a national crowd-resourcing
platform, attended the workshop for both personal and professional reasons. “I believe
that Pittsburgh is awesome and we have the agency to build a Pittsburgh for all. The
EcoDistricts model is a process through which we can recalibrate the power dynamics
and have a Pittsburgh that is built together and thriving for all of us, not just for some.”

Connections were solidified, new friends and allies were made, and the network of
sustainable leaders in the Pittsburgh inarguably strengthened as a result of the
EcoDistricts Foundation Course. The information provided, the connections made, and
the shared tools will augment and add capacity to participants’ work going forward.

Mary Ellen Ramage adds that it has been beneficial to increase her local network
through participation in the EcoDistricts course. As a part of Etna’s Green Master Plan,
adopted three years ago, the borough acquired a property on floodplain and aspires to
transform the location into a green space. At EcoDistricts, she connected with
individuals involved in land trusts and in the day of the conference was able to reignite
and add capacity to this project in Etna.

Miriam Parson professes the strengths of community building, “It is common for
Pittsburghers to walk into a room and know half the people there – and that spirit of
collaboration is great! Going back to our personal and professional lives, we need to
keep desegregating our work, everyone in this room is working on yielding space so
that everyone is building their collective futures.”

The walking tour and presentation of Millvale as an EcoDistrict Case Study by
Sustainability Coordinator Zaheen Hussain, both surprised and inspired attendees, even
those who were previously familiar with the area.

Edward Hill of Portland was impressed by the history of flooding in the compact
downtown corridor. “The flood line, the topographical and hydrological conditions were
impressive and immediately sent me into resilience mode; The familiar narrative of
people trying to recover.” “As a planner, I liked being constrained by the corridor of the
small town.” [Grant St. and its arteries].

Mary Ellen Ramage admits that she has toured Millvale many times already as Etna
was a part of a PCRG tour that took place previously but is always inspired by the
Millvale Gardens, “they have grown and changed so much, now they are growing things
for the local businesses and, no pun intended, evolving.”

Miriam Parson returns to the most memorable part of their Millvale EcoDistrict walking
tour. “When Zaheen was giving the Millvale Garden tour, he noted the adage ‘if you
build it they will come’ is not true – people need to build what is appropriate in their own
context – it is a process of ownership – a shifting of power dynamics.”

In addition to introducing Zaheen Hussain as Director of Sustainability at New Sun Rising, the organization also announced seed funding towards the incubation of the Regional Ecodistricts Collaborative: a network of leading sustainability organizations including evolveEA, Green Builders Alliance, Sustainable Pittsburgh, Homewood Children’s Village, The City of Pittsburgh, and others. The group has shared goals to strengthen existing ecodistricts, promote the planning and implementation of new ecodistricts, set the regional agenda for sustainable community practices through ecodistricts, and integrate best practices into local government processes and plans.