Education & Outreach
Community engagement is often a barrier in implementing and sustaining projects in historically under-resourced communities. It’s important to work with people from the community who have a relationship and understanding of other social issues, such as culture, mobility, accessibility, language, and housing.
Southside ReLeaf works with community partners in creating educational programming that will build the brain trust of our neighbors so residents have the capacity to join in decision making about how to make Richmond’s Southside resilient, greener, and more beautiful.
Classroom Learning
We like to say that learning happens wherever we are—in a park, while planting trees, or at a community meeting. Community education is a lifelong endeavor that inspires innovative solutions and leads to positive change. We’re in the business of educating the community about environmental justice, greening solutions, and how to be a proactive climate champion.
Please invite us to give a presentation or join us at one of our many events.
Connecting with Neighbors
Our team loves to be out in the community. Whether it’s a festival, school fair, farmer’s market, or civic association meeting, we are here to support and celebrate the Southside community. We offer presentations, education classes, hands-on activities, and event support.
Tree Ambassador Program
We developed the Tree Ambassador Program (TAP) with the Virginia Department of Forestry for urban and community foresters to strengthen relationships in their communities and recruit community members to be ambassadors for urban forestry.
Our TAP model outlines how to develop a local program, provide technical training for residents, and mobilize ambassadors to plant and care for trees in their community.
Cool the City
Excessive heat is recognized as the greatest weather-related cause of death in the United States. Our “Cool the City” campaign is a multimedia PSA focused on climate solutions that will reduce extreme heat and save lives. From planting trees and lowering energy bills to advocating for more investments in our community, we are empowering neighbors to take action.
We need to to mobilize elected officials, businesses, community groups, students, and others to prioritize local climate action solutions as identified in the city’s RVAgreen 2050. Be part of the campaign! Sign up to receive updates.