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FAQ's - Equity

1. What is an equity toolkit?
 

2. If I complete action 1.2 Participate in Equity Training or 1.3 Develop and Adopt a Statement on Equity, does my town still need to complete an equity toolkit?
 

3. I want to complete the equity toolkit, but where do I start?
 

4. Which action should I pair with my equity toolkit?
 

5. What does an equity coach do, and how can they support my town in completing the equity toolkit?
 

6. How do I get connected with an equity coach?
 

7. Are there examples of other towns’ equity toolkits that my town can model?

1. What is an equity toolkit?

As the core component of Sustainable CT’s action, 1.1 Optimize for Equity, the Sustainable CT Equity Toolkit lays out a series of steps that your Sustainability Team should use to engage your community as you plan and implement Sustainable CT actions. Through this process, you will explore how these ideas relate to Sustainable CT actions, eventually applying the toolkit process to one Sustainable CT action for Bronze certification, three actions for Silver certification, or four actions for Gold certification. Towns can work with a Sustainable CT Equity Coach at no cost to provide one-on-one support with implementing the equity toolkit process. For more information on how to apply the toolkit, or to work with a Sustainable CT Equity Coach please contact [email protected]. (Return to top)

  

2. If I complete Action 1.2 Participate in Equity Training or 1.3 Develop and Adopt a Statement on Equity, does my town still need to complete an equity toolkit?

Yes

Completion of Action 1.1 Optimize for Equity is mandatory for achieving all levels of certification (Bronze, Silver, and Gold). Your community may pursue actions 1.2 and 1.3 for additional points in category 1, but doing so does not replace the required action 1.1 Optimize for Equity. You must complete action 1.2.1 or 1.2.2 and action 1.3 for Gold certification. (Return to top)

  

3. I want to complete the equity toolkit, but where do I start?

Sustainable CT recommends that towns work with Sustainable CT Equity Coaches before digging into the equity toolkit process. Towns can work with coaches at no cost. Email [email protected] for more information or to request working with a coach.

Using the framework outlined in the equity toolkit, you will first explore who lives and works in your community, and then determine how you may make connections with all community members. Once you have made connections and created opportunities for dialogue, you can begin to define some important issues in your community and identify active organizations, non-profits, town departments, etc. to collaborate with and identify opportunities for co-creation (Return to top)

  

4. Which action should I pair with my equity toolkit?

Keep an open mind when planning your equity toolkit work. You should apply the equity toolkit to an action that is of interest to community members, including those that are underrepresented. As you hold your meetings, look at the list of Sustainable CT actions and identify some that might help address the needs, pressing issues, and values of your community, based on community input from nontraditional partners. Work together to select a Sustainable CT action to complete and to determine a strategy for inclusive implementation. For example, if you find that members of your community do not have transportation access (due to income, physical challenges, age, preference), how might Action 6.1 Implement Complete Streets or Action 6.5 Promote Public Transit and Other Mobility Strategies be implemented to open up mobility options for all members of your community? (Return to top)

  

5. What does an equity coach do, and how can they support my town in completing the equity toolkit?

A Sustainable CT equity coach can provide one-on-one guidance and support to your town with the goals of broadening community connections. They can also help inform an equity toolkit process that, values all voices and interests of community members in decision making to create a community where all can thrive and where race, gender, age, or sexual identity do not determine opportunities or predict outcomes. There is not a long-term commitment requirement for this support. Your town might work with an Equity Coach during initial planning, throughout action development, or other. Watch a short video to learn more about the Equity Coaching experience. (Return to top)

  

6. How do I get connected with an equity coach?

Simple! Email [email protected] and let us know that your town is interested in working with an equity coach at no cost. (Return to top)

  

7. Are there examples of other towns’ equity toolkits that my town can model?

Yes

Our Participating Communities map has a filtering tool so that you may search for towns that have completed Action 1.1. By viewing a town’s certification report, you may also view their toolkit submissions. For more information on how to utilize this tool, watch our video tutorial on Utilizing the Participating Communities Map Tool. You may also view toolkit submissions that we determined are ‘success stories’ at the bottom of the write-up for Action 1.1. (Return to top)