Trainings & Events

This conference began as a response to a recommendation by the Long Island Sound Assembly that there should be a venue where all of the current science relating to Long Island Sound could be presented.  The first Long Island Sound Research Conference occurred in 1992. 

The idea was to gather scientists and students from all of the relevant disciplines together, to present and synthesize a big picture of Long Island Sound science. Proceedings volumes were produced, and are still available from Sea Grant via the NOAA Central Library.

Historically, the conference was organized by the Long Island Sound Foundation until 2016, after which the Sea Grant programs of Connecticut and New York. shared in the responsibilities. 

Support for the Long Island Sound Research Conference is provided by the Long Island Sound Study.

Registration: $40 / $30 students
 

Coffee Talk is an adult lecture series designed by the Connecticut Science Center to fuel your brain and caffeinate your curiosity with intriguing topics and engaging presenters. The series begins on April 24^th and runs for 4 weeks every Wednesday morning from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

PART I: Offshore Wind Energy, April 24, Presented by Kenneth Bowes: Offshore wind energy has the potential to revolutionize the way we power our lives with its abundant, sustainable energy. However, we must tackle some pesky obstacles, including soaring costs, slow-moving permitting processes, not-in-my-backyard opposition, wildlife impacts, and global supply chain woes. In this presentation, we will take you through the exhilarating journey of building an offshore wind farm and provide some exciting strategies for overcoming these challenges.

PART II: The Blue Economy, May 1, Presented by Colleen L. Bielitz, PhD: Dive into the exciting world of the Blue Economy - where the ocean’s resources are utilized sustainably to boost economic growth without compromising the ecosystem’s health. In this presentation, we will explore the fascinating concept of biomimicry - a design technique that takes inspiration from nature - and how it can be harnessed to develop innovative and eco-friendly solutions for managing ocean resources.

PART III: Talking Trash, May 8, Presented by Jackson Somers, PhD: Join us as we delve into the fascinating and oftentimes overlooked world of waste management. From garbage and recycling to the latest advances in tackling food waste, this discussion promises to shed light on the industry’s many challenges today. With a special focus on Connecticut, we will explore the innovative solutions being implemented right now and the exciting possibilities for the future.

PART IV: Our Climate & Our Land, May 15, Presented by Guiling Wang, PhD: Embark on a voyage through Earth’s dynamic ecosystems, where the interplay between climate change and land use unfolds in a compelling saga of resilience and adaptation. As these colossal forces collide, they sculpt our landscapes, providing challenges as well as opportunities for ecosystem services. From verdant rainforests to rugged mountainsides, each corner of our planet weaves a narrative of adaptation, highlighting the invincible essence of Mother Nature herself.

Ticket Prices:

$40 - Series Bundle Includes Mug Purchase by April 24

$12 - Individual Session

$8 - Coffee Talk Ceramic Mug

Each ticket includes the lecture, light refreshments, and a $5 parking voucher.

Tickets are available at CTScienceCenter.org or by calling 860-520-2104 or emailing [email protected].
 

Come join the UConn Technical Assistance for Bronwfields program for a webinar on past New England MARC Grant Recipients. Come to learn some tips and tricks for managing your EPA Brownfields grant.
 

This free, three-part, virtual equity workshop series provides a comprehensive framework of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. Attendance at all three sessions is required. Sessions run 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm on: April 10, May 15, and June 12. Content will be geared to help Sustainability Teams integrate equity considerations into their Sustainable CT initiatives. Who should attend? Sustainability Team members (elected officials, municipal staff, commissioners, volunteers) in registered Sustainable CT communities. Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live training and will not be recorded. Please only sign up if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.

Attendees will participate in three different workshops:

Beyond Unconscious Bias: Creating Systemic Change (April 10): This workshop goes beyond recognizing unconscious bias to crafting strategies for systemic change. Municipal leaders will learn how to audit policies and practices for bias, engage in reform, and implement long-term strategies for inclusivity. The session offers a mix of theoretical insights and practical tools to reshape the municipal landscape for equity and justice.

Race and Community: Deepening Engagement and Solidarity (May 15): This workshop is designed to deepen community engagement around issues of race and racism. Participants will learn about solidarity-based strategies and how to support movements for racial justice at the local level. This interactive session will focus on building partnerships, coalitions, and networks that can amplify efforts to challenge racism and build equitable communities.

Persuasion for Progress: Influencing Change in Community Attitudes (June 12): Aiming to create progressive shifts in community attitudes, this workshop provides participants with nuanced approaches to persuasion. Understanding that change often meets resistance, this session equips leaders with psychological insights and advanced communication strategies to transform skepticism into support for the Be READI© principles.

This webinar is eligible for Certified Connecticut Municipal Official (CCMO) professional development credit from the CT Conference of Municipalities.
 

Come and be a part of something special at the Fairfield County's Community Foundation's next Leaders of Color Networking Night event! They're thrilled to celebrate the launch of their Bridgeport Arts RFP with you in style. This evening is all about forging meaningful connections, drawing inspiration, and celebrating the incredible synergy between nonprofit professionals and local artists who are enriching the community with their talent, passion, and creativity. Mingle with like-minded individuals as you discover new opportunities, exchange insights, and build relationships that can truly make a difference.
 

Join Sustainable CT and the Connecticut Green Bank’s Environmental Infrastructure team for a coffee hour on organic waste management. Hear some examples of municipal efforts to reduce organic waste and compost, learn about the Green Bank’s interest in supporting organics recycling solutions, and provide feedback on what resources would best support your municipality in managing waste and organics.

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Fridays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.
 

Hartford Youth Data Fellows are ten youths ages 17-24 from Hartford who join the Hartford Data Collaborative for 5 months to learn data skills and engage in community projects. Join Hartford Youth Data Fellows as they walk you though findings on local community data projects.
 

This meeting is intended to inform local officials about Connecticut’s Large-scale Filling Pilot program established by section 1 of PA 21-88 (now CGS sec. 22a-209f(c)). The program will provide a process for the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to authorize up to four sites for large-scale filling with the intent to redevelop impaired or under-utilized properties located in CT municipalities. Any selected site may be located in more than one municipality and require the applicants to satisfy multiple municipal requirements. The presentation will describe the level of local involvement in the process and the requirements applicants will have to meet. Registration is required for the meeting, please use the link above.
 

The Equity in Data Community of Practice is a group of data users in Connecticut who are supporting one another as they work toward more equitable data practices. They focus on racial equity explicitly but not exclusively.

Some of the topics they talk about include:

• How can we make sure we don't make certain groups invisible through how we disaggregate our data?
• How can we learn to focus our attention on the strengths, rather than the deficits, of groups we are seeking to serve or support?
• How can we learn from the people who we hope will benefit from our products or services about what their data means to them?
• How can we help the institutions that we are part of to be trustworthy so that people will trust us with their information/data?

You can read more about their past events here.

Please feel free to check out the group. And if it is helpful, please share it!
 

We are excited to announce that the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is hosting a new webinar series in late May. This series is a continuation effort after their research symposium and research seed grant and is aimed at showcasing the research efforts of UConn faculty members and fostering collaboration within the university’s community. Each webinar will center around one of the four research areas outlined by CIRCA, accessible on their website: https://circa.uconn.edu/research-interest-areas/.

This webinar will cover Resilience Adaptation and Engineering and Inland and Coastal Flooding and features Dr. James O'Donnell, Professor of Marine Science and Executive Director of CIRCA.
 

Please join the Yale Center for Environmental Communication for a webinar on how young people are grappling with climate change and efforts to engage them on the topic. Grace Gibson-Snyder, a Yale College student and plaintiff in landmark climate case, Held v. State of Montana will moderate a conversation with Dr. Matthew Ballew, Research Specialist at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, Puji Masireddy, Youth Advisory Board Member at Action for the Climate Emergency, and Stephanie Hanes, journalist with the Christian Science Monitor’s Climate Generation project. We will record the webinar and send a link to the recording to all registrants afterwards.
 

In light of the recent announcement of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds (GGRF) by the EPA, the Connecticut Green Bank is cordially inviting you to attend a workshop designed for elected officials, energy/sustainability task force members, school officials, and other municipal leaders. Their goal is to engage in meaningful dialogue about how federal funds can facilitate the shift towards financing for sustainable, resilient, and greener schools, school buses, other municipal facilities, and green environmental infrastructure, while also identifying and addressing any barriers to this transition. The Green Bank is excited for this opportunity, and they hope you can attend this engaging, impactful workshop!

Click here to learn more about the agenda and register to attend.
 

We are excited to announce that the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is hosting a new webinar series in late May. This series is a continuation effort after their research symposium and research seed grant and is aimed at showcasing the research efforts of UConn faculty members and fostering collaboration within the university’s community. Each webinar will center around one of the four research areas outlined by CIRCA, accessible on their website: https://circa.uconn.edu/research-interest-areas/.

This webinar will cover Decarbonization and Energy and Biodiversity, Ecosystem, and Conservation and will feature Dr. Chadwick Rittenhouse, Associate Professor in Residence, Department of Natural Resources & the Environment.
 

This two day workshop will provide participants with the foundational knowledge and skills to use Motivational Interviewing (MI) with their clients. Across a broad range of care settings, successfully engaging and harnessing clients’ own motivations for making important life changes is a key ingredient for success. The most efficient way to understand the dynamics of the MI model, and to develop competency, is through practice -- learning by doing. Therefore, these sessions are highly interactive, incorporating structured learning activities including case examples, audio/video-recorded work samples, small group exercises, and “real”-plays. In this workshop participants will be progressively guided to improve their skills from basic to more advanced levels. Most importantly, they will be able to transfer and incorporate newly learned MI skills into real-world interactions.

Over the course of this workshop, participants will become familiar with the basic theory of MI, the skills for fostering an effective working alliance, and practice ways of responding effectively to challenging client statements to de-escalate conflict. Emphasis will also be placed on fine-tuning participants’ ability to recognize, evoke, and respond to client “change language,” an essential skill for fostering awareness and motivation. The materials and examples will be tailored to scenarios involving housing and homelessness issues.

Workshop Pricing:

CCEH Member Rate: $125

Non-Member Rate: $140
 

We are excited to announce that the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is hosting a new webinar series in late May. This series is a continuation effort after their research symposium and research seed grant and is aimed at showcasing the research efforts of UConn faculty members and fostering collaboration within the university’s community. Each webinar will center around one of the four research areas outlined by CIRCA, accessible on their website: https://circa.uconn.edu/research-interest-areas/.

This webinar will cover Economy, Workforce and Planning Perspectives and Climate Communication and Policy and will feature Dr. Shareen Hertel, Professor of Political Science and Human Rights.
 

We are excited to announce that the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is hosting a new webinar series in late May. This series is a continuation effort after their research symposium and research seed grant and is aimed at showcasing the research efforts of UConn faculty members and fostering collaboration within the university’s community. Each webinar will center around one of the four research areas outlined by CIRCA, accessible on their website: https://circa.uconn.edu/research-interest-areas/.

This webinar will cover Climate Justice and Equity and Public Health and Emergency Management and will feature Dr. Eleanor Ouimet, Assistant Professor of Anthropology.
 

As part of its ongoing work to advance racial equity throughout the region, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is offering free community access to The Groundwater Approach, a racial equity workshop that builds an understanding of systemic racism and racial disparities through data and historical analysis.

The Groundwater metaphor is designed to help people internalize the reality that we live in a racially-structured society, and that that is what causes racial inequity. The metaphor is based on three observations:

• racial inequity looks the same across systems,
• socio-economic difference does not explain the racial inequity; and,
• inequities are caused by systems, regardless of people’s culture or behavior.

The workshop is provided by the Racial Equity Institute, a national alliance of trainers, organizers and institutional leaders devoted to creating racially equitable organizations and systems.
Note: Workshop sessions are NOT recorded.
 

Our Spring into Summer 2024 event will take place at ;Wickham Park in Manchester on June 11 from 4 to 7 p.m.

We're coming full circle - back to the place where we celebrated those who participated in creating Sustainable CT with a "party in the park" in July, 2017. This year, in addition to celebrating the progress Connecticut communities have made over the years, we'll also be bidding farewell to our retiring executive director and founder, Lynn Stoddard. We’ll provide light fare and good cheer, and beautiful Wickham Park will provide the ambiance.

Sponsorship opportunities are available! Join us in working for a better Connecticut. By sponsoring our Spring into Summer 2024 event, you'll align your company with our reputation as a trusted and valuable support program for municipal leaders and an innovative thought-leader in building livable communities. Don't wait: contact Lynn Stoddard,; 860-259-4729, to discuss options and details. And visit our Sponsor Us page to discover the many different ways you can support our work and mission.
 

Join the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness at the Annual Training Institute to elevate your impact in ending homelessness. This essential gathering empowers participants with cutting-edge strategies and collaborative opportunities to transform our approach to homelessness in Connecticut. Ready to be part of the change? Register and learn how we're reimagining solutions and building a future where everyone has a place to call home.

Pricing

Standard / Non-Member - $160.00

Member - $130.00
 

Sustainable CT is pleased to partner with Eversource Energy, United Illuminating, and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology’s SmartBuildings CT program to provide energy benchmarking and tracking support to registered Sustainable CT communities within the utility company service territories.

Learn more about the SmartBuildings CT program and how it might help your municipality by earning points towards actions 7.1 Benchmark and Track Energy Use, 7.2 Reduce Energy Use Across All Municipal Buildings, and/or 7.4 Increase Use of Renewable Energy in Municipal Buildings.
 

This free, three-part, virtual equity workshop series provides a comprehensive framework of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. Attendance at all three sessions is required. Sessions run 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on: June 13, July 11, and August 1. Content will be geared to help Sustainability Teams integrate equity considerations into their Sustainable CT initiatives. Who should attend? Sustainability Team members (elected officials, municipal staff, commissioners, volunteers) in registered Sustainable CT communities. Attendance is capped at 35. This will be a live training and will not be recorded. Please only sign up if you intend to participate for the duration of each session.

Attendees will participate in three different workshops:

Be READI© Leadership: Championing Equity at the Forefront (June 13): This workshop is tailored for those who are ready to lead by example in the realm of equity and inclusion. Building upon the principles and strategies discussed in previous equity training series, this workshop aims to cultivate leaders who not only understand the Be READI© framework but can also effectively champion these values within their municipalities. Participants will explore advanced leadership techniques, including how to influence organizational culture, inspire teams, and lead equitable change initiatives that yield measurable results.

Measuring What Matters: Assessing DEI Impact in Municipalities (July 11): This workshop focuses on the importance of tracking progress and evaluating the impact of DEI initiatives. This hands-on workshop guides participants through the creation of effective assessment tools and indicators that align with the Be READI© framework. Municipal leaders will learn how to collect and analyze data, report on findings, and use insights to drive continuous improvement and accountability in DEI efforts.

Sustainable Change: Institutionalizing Be READI© Practices (August 1): This workshop is designed to ensure the longevity and resilience of DEI efforts. This session will help participants identify and implement policies and practices that embed the principles of Belonging, relevant equity, access, accountability diversity, and inclusion into the DNA of municipal operations. Leaders will be equipped with strategies for policy development, stakeholder engagement, and the creation of a municipal infrastructure that supports lasting DEI integration.
 

Tickets

• $55 Early-Bird BuildGreenCT/CTPH/CTGBC members* (through 5/17 with promo code**)
• $75 BuildGreenCT/CTPH/CTGBC members* (starting 5/18 with promo code**)
• $100 Non-members

As the landscape of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards continues to evolve, so too does the field of green buildings. This evolution highlights the interconnectedness and mutual benefits shared between ESG principles and sustainable building practices.

The synergies include a focus on transparency, stakeholder engagement, reducing the environmental footprint, implementing metrics, targets and demonstrating impact.

ESG programs may not be fully leveraging the benefits of green building approaches. Corporations can benefit from sharing more disclosures about their efforts to mitigate risks and improve the built environment.

During this panel, experts will discuss leveraging the principles of green building within ESG frameworks and programs to result in more holistic and impactful sustainability strategies, driving long-term value creation and resilience for businesses and society.

Your ticket also includes a complimentary beverage and sustainably sourced farm-to-table hors d’oeuvres from Hotel Marcel’s kitchen served during the first hour.
 

Join Sustainable CT Equity Coaches for “Equity Connections” – regular opportunities to share your questions about equity actions, challenges, successes, or just listen to the conversation, and get ideas on how to approach or deepen your equity work. Municipal officials, staff, and Sustainability Team members are welcome to join the Sustainable CT team for these new bi-monthly virtual sharing sessions.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Fridays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Fridays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Fridays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Fridays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.
 

As data people, our role is often one of making connections across organizations or across geographies to better understand progress or challenges in the social sector. During the conference, participants will learn about the pivotal role data has played in making connections, improving systems, and measuring outcomes through data integration, data infrastructure development, data strategy building, and more.

The conference will take place at the beautiful Heritage Hotel in Southbury, CT. With many beautiful indoor-outdoor gathering spaces, you will have many opportunities to develop new connections, share ideas, and start new partnerships.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Fridays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Fridays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.
 

Join Sustainable CT for virtual, informal, discussions most third Fridays of each month. We share program updates and resources, explore your questions, and strengthen the network of Sustainable CT champions. These sessions are free and open to all.