Trainings & Events

We all know small businesses are the lifeblood of Main Street, but are we giving them the support they need or actually want?

Supported by Main Street America’s 2022 Small Business Survey, we’ll review the findings and highlight the top three types of support small businesses want: incentives & financial support, increased district-wide marketing & promotion, and stronger organization of businesses in the area.

Learn how to take these findings and create effective programs to support your small business.

• Implement a façade improvement program that energizes vacant spaces and encourages new business starts


• Strengthen your district branding to change perception, involve everyone, and engage new partners


• Upgrade Merchant Meetups with informal storytelling events that bring the business community together

Meet the panelists:

• Mike Powe, Ph.D., Director of Research at Main Street America


• Julio Concepcion, Executive Director at Hartford Chamber of Commerce


• Lauren Coakley Vincent, President & CEO at Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District


• Melanie Lenci, Founder & Funmaker at Kick-Ass Entrepreneurs and Brenda Tozier, Administrative Assistant at Silver City Main Street (New Mexico)

This event is free, but registration is required.

This event is pending for 1 credit for certified planners. With thanks to our AICP Certification Maintenance Provider FHI Studio.
 

As decarbonization efforts accelerate and severe weather events become more common in a changing climate, electric grid systems and the communities and businesses that rely on them are seeing increasing impacts. Grid modernization strategies and technologies—from grid hardening and smart grid technologies to distributed energy resources, virtual power plants, and storage capacity (e.g., microgrids)—can increase the resilience of electricity infrastructure to extreme weather and decarbonization activities, making power more reliable and decreasing the costs.

This webinar will explore the various technologies and strategies that can be used to modernize the grid and improve climate resilience, those technologies at scale, and policy mechanisms and steps that can accelerate their adoption.

Panelists:

• Bill Hetherington, CEO, Bandera Electric Cooperative


• Karen Wayland, CEO, Gridwise Alliance


• Larry Bekkedahl, Senior Vice President, Advanced Energy Delivery, Portland General Electric


• Michael Bates, General Manager, Energy Vertical, Intel


• David Holmes, General Manager, Energy, Dell Technologies

Hosted by Fairfield County's Community Foundation's Center for Nonprofit Excellence and the United Way of Western Connecticut: Participants are invited to an eight-part training series covering the essential aspects of nonprofit management.

Topics will include:

• September 14: Marketing


• October 12: Grassroots Advocacy


• November 9: State and Federal Advocacy


• January 11: Grant Writing


• February 8: Data Collection & Evaluation


• March 8: Board Essentials P.1


• April 12: Board Essentials P. 2


• May 10: Fundraising and Development

The Resilient Nation Partnership Network, in partnership with the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), is excited to announce the fall dates of the seventh Annual Partnership Forum! This year's focus will center on "Alliances for Inclusive Resilience" and will bring together thought leaders across resilience, mitigation, and equity to discuss how we can leverage strategic partnerships to advance inclusive resilience for all.

The virtual series will occur every Wednesday this October from 1-3 PM ET and will explore the following topics around inclusive resilience:

• October 5  – "Social Cohesion: Making Access, Inclusion and Equity Priorities in Resilience"


• October 12  – "Making Resilience Priorities Complementary"


• October 19  – "Inclusive Design: Building a Sense of Resilient Belonging"


• October 26 – "Voices of Inclusive Resilience"

Where else can you listen to a James Beard award winner, Chief Resilience Officers, behavioral scientist, elected officials, federal agency leadership, tribal representatives, and more, all in one place to advance resilience? There MIGHT be somewhere, but we don’t know about it. Don’t miss your chance here!
 

The Yale Center for Environmental Justice and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are partnering this year to present the Fourth Annual Global Environmental Justice Conference at the Yale School of the Environment. This year’s conference will focus on the intersection of equitable climate action and sustainable development.   

Climate disruption and international conflict threaten global economies already shaped by the legacies of colonialism and historic injustices. How can leaders in government and policy, NGO’s, the private sector, and grassroots coalitions transition economies equitably and sustainably to meet ambitious climate goals? Is inclusive growth possible? This conference will connect theory and practice to investigate inclusive international development in food and energy systems. Global environmental justice requires local action from the international to the local level. How do we build power with frontline communities to lead change at the local level while shifting economies at a global scale? What role can international development play in shaping resilient systems that do not reproduce the injustices of the past?  

The conference will represent the diversity of this work and the forms it takes across the globe, providing a unique forum for broad, multi-sector discussions.  Policy-makers, scholars, grassroots advocates, non-profit and industry leaders will have opportunities to engage with speakers and a conference network at the forefront of building capacity for a just response to climate change. The hybrid conference will meet at the Yale School of the Environment and online through Cvent.
 

family-owned for generations to brand new. Visitors can sample the world at restaurants with a dozen different ethnic cuisines. This charming business district nestled along the Connecticut River is home to music, art, dancing, playtime, and even the movies, making it the perfect place to explore as a visitor or resident.

Schedule of Events:

3PM-4PM – Meet and Greet sponsored by the Inn at Middletown

4PM-4:50PM – PROGRAM

• Welcome remarks from Mayor Ben Florsheim & Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz


• Downtown Business District Chairperson, Jen Alexander, will speak about The Downtown Business District’s roles and responsibilities


• Our Community in Action presentation by Middletown Police Dept. Community Division


• Presenters Domenick Demartino (Demartino Development) and JR Hargraves (Hargraves Development) will lead a discussion on A Vibrant & Residential Downtown


• Closing Remarks from Larry McHugh, President of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce

5PM-6PM – Guided walking tours along Main Street

6PM-7:30PM – Complimentary Cocktail Reception at the Rooftop of the Community Health Center

Additional Information:

PARKING - All guests should park in the parking lot off Union Street behind Mondo Restaurant and the Inn at Middletown

SHUTTLE BUS will be available and running between the Inn at Middletown and the Community Health Center following the walking tour.
 

This month's UConn Teale Lecture will be presented by Robert N. Staviins, A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy & Economic Development from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. All Teale lectures are free, open to the public, and held in the Konover Auditorium, Thomas J. Dodd Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.
 

DEEP is pleased to open the first round of the DEEP Climate Resilience Fund. Check the Engagement Schedule for upcoming informational webinars.

The Connecticut DEEP has recently announced that funding is now available through the Climate Resilience Fund for grants to help Connecticut communities initiate planning and develop projects that will help communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change. The Fund specifically is intended to support climate resilience planning at regional, municipal, and neighborhood-level scales, and to support resilience project scoping and development. This investment into climate resilience planning and project development was established by Executive Order 21-3 (EO21-3) in December 2021 and was one of 61 recommendations from the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) in 2021.
 

DEEP is pleased to open the first round of the DEEP Climate Resilience Fund. Check the Engagement Schedule for upcoming informational webinars.

The Connecticut DEEP has recently announced that funding is now available through the Climate Resilience Fund for grants to help Connecticut communities initiate planning and develop projects that will help communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change. The Fund specifically is intended to support climate resilience planning at regional, municipal, and neighborhood-level scales, and to support resilience project scoping and development. This investment into climate resilience planning and project development was established by Executive Order 21-3 (EO21-3) in December 2021 and was one of 61 recommendations from the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) in 2021.
 

Join The Center for Nonprofit Excellence for the first of a 2-part book club series intended for grassroots organizations' leaders and staff. Book selection to come; books will be provided.

The Connecticut Law Review is pleased to announce our 2022 symposium, “Climate and Environmental Justice in the 21st Century: A Just Transition.” The symposium event will be held on October 21, 2022. As the global community continues to grapple with the impacts of climate change, leaders from the political and corporate world have taken up the mantle of transitioning the world to more sustainable energy practices. This symposium will examine how these transitions can promote justice for those facing the greatest harm from the threats of climate change. We will explore successful approaches already being implemented internationally and here in Connecticut, as well as discussion of cutting-edge private practices dedicated to ensuring a just and equitable future for the planet.

Panel One will address the law’s ability (or inability) to address climate change and climate emergencies. Our panelists will discuss whether legal structures have the capacity to keep pace with the onslaught of climate and environmental emergencies, as well as what tools the law may rely on to support and facilitate the objectives of a just transition.

Panel Two will explore labor transitions in energy communities, focusing on what obligations, if any, corporations have in supporting the objectives of a just transition.

Panel Three will look at the work being done in Connecticut to address these issues locally, with a focus on the 2021 Climate & Community Investment Act.

For each panel, our panelists will present for fifteen to twenty minutes, followed by a general Q&A discussion.

In partnership with the Connecticut Law Review, the symposium is co-sponsored by CEEL (UConn's Center for Energy and Environmental Law), the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, and the Human Rights Clinic at PUCPR (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná).

• CEEL combines legal education, policy, and scholarship to help students build a well-rounded foundation in energy and environmental law, both in and beyond the classroom.


• Recognized for its groundbreaking pedagogy with a grant from the U.S. State Department, the Human Rights Clinic at PUCPR in Brazil engages students in socio-environmental legal work, organized in cooperation with grassroots and civil groups.

The event is in-person and will also be available via livestream.

Registration is free for students, faculty and the general public. There is a $30 cost for attorneys seeking to earn CLE credit (in-person or livestream).

If you require a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the Law School at 860-570-5079 or [email protected] at least two weeks in advance.
 

This workshop is aimed at exploring research and collaboration among state and federal government organizations, academia, and industry to create new clean and sustainable sources of power and methods for delivery, reliability and security. The workshop will feature different visions, insights on policy and implementation plans and associated socio-technical challenges to decarbonize the energy sector and combat climate change.

Registration Fees:

Registration fees include parking, continental breakfast, all breaks, lunch, and a reception.

• General: $150; after 10/16/22: $175


• UConn Faculty: $100; after 10/16/22: $125


• UConn Students: $50; after 10/16/22: $75

DEEP is pleased to open the first round of the DEEP Climate Resilience Fund. Check the Engagement Schedule for upcoming informational webinars.

The Connecticut DEEP has recently announced that funding is now available through the Climate Resilience Fund for grants to help Connecticut communities initiate planning and develop projects that will help communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change. The Fund specifically is intended to support climate resilience planning at regional, municipal, and neighborhood-level scales, and to support resilience project scoping and development. This investment into climate resilience planning and project development was established by Executive Order 21-3 (EO21-3) in December 2021 and was one of 61 recommendations from the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) in 2021.
 

Join intelligent and inquisitive minds from across the world to examine justice, finance, technology, policy, and careers in the clean energy field. Register today to form connections and share learnings to foster a broader, more informed, and more engaged community of clean energy leaders. Learn more HERE.
 

As the first director of the new Office of Climate Planning, Dr. French advises the Commissioner of DEEP on mitigation, adaptation and resilience plans across all divisions of the agency. Her first charge is to administer the Governor’s Council on Climate Change. Previously, Dr. French served as the Director of Resilience for the CT Department of Housing, and as the Director of Community Engagement for the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) from 2014-2018. Dr. French also spent a year in Congress as a Congressional Science Fellow in the Office of US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), serving as a policy advisor to the Senator in the areas of energy, environment, and agriculture.
 

When public art is supported and implemented thoughtfully and strategically, it adds tremendous cultural, aesthetic, and economic value to a community.

It facilitates a sense of place and community pride. It can encourage civic engagement and build social capital through raising public awareness of important local issues and connecting residents to their neighbors and their shared history.

In this webinar, you’ll be inspired to think differently about and incorporate public art in your communities. Our panel from around the country and Connecticut will speak to innovative public art programs that provide economic impact and create more inclusive communities.

• Learn about Connecticut’s Office of the Arts new public art programs and how to take advantage


• Hear how a Connecticut placemaking organization employs diverse artists to beautify, bring positivity, and spark economic vitality in neighborhoods through public art


• Learn how a winter light festival brings in 189,000 visitors in the dead of winter and contributes $3.7m in economic impact while activating typically overlooked neighborhoods


• Hear how a city in Alabama used a music audit to restructure their economic development plan around music and is now the fifth fast growing city in Alabama

Meet the Panelists:

• Tamara Dimitri, Program Specialist, Art in Public Spaces at Connecticut Office of the Arts


• Matt Conway, Founder at The Rise Up Group


• Alisha Sullivan, Executive Director at Willamette Light Brigade | Portland Light Festival


• Shain Shapiro, Founder at Sound Diplomacy

CTData is excited to invite you to their 2022 virtual mini-Conference! This year data experts have a smorgasbord of topics including a session on Why Am I Always Being Researched by Chicago Beyond, Census Bureau tool demos, important discussions on changes to census data, CTData news, and more.

The conference sessions will run from 10:30am-12:00pm each day, November 14-17. The sessions are as follows:

Monday, November 14th: Differential Privacy

Presenters: Amy O’Hara, Elizabeth Garner, Colorado State Demographer

About this event: Since 1990 the Bureau has always added ‘noise’ to the decennial statistics, but for 2020 Census data the Bureau will be using a new privacy protection framework based on ‘differential privacy.’ At this session, two national researchers with extensive experience using Census data will discuss how this will impact the useability of the data and offer suggestions on ways in which data users can determine useability of Census data.

Tuesday, November 15th: Why am I always Being Research?

Presenter: Chicago Beyond

About this event: Through the course of their work, Chicago Beyond identified “evidence that the power dynamic between community organizations, researchers, and funders blocks information that could drive better decision-making and fuel more investment in communities most in need.” Join this session as we discuss the guidebook, Why am I Always Being Researched, so we can all uncover how we can approach our data work more equitably.

Wednesday, November 16th: Population Estimates and Updates & Coffee with CTData

Presenter: Pamela Sarte, Statistician/Demographer, U.S. Census Bureau

About this event: The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP) produces estimates of the population for the United States, its states, counties, cities, and towns, as well as for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its municipios. Demographic components of population change (births, deaths, and migration) are produced at the national, state, and county levels of geography. These estimates are used in federal funding allocations, as survey controls, as denominators for vital rates and per capita time series, and as indicators of recent demographic changes.

Thursday, November 17th: Census Bureau Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Demo

Presenter: Earlene Dowell, Program Analyst, Longitudinal-Employer Household Dynamic Program, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau

About this event: The Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program is part of the Center for Economic Studies at the U.S. Census Bureau. The LEHD program produces…information combining federal, state and Census Bureau data on employers and employees under the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership. State and local authorities increasingly need detailed local information about their economies to make informed decisions. The LED Partnership works to fill critical data gaps and provide indicators needed by state and local authorities….The LEHD program combines Unemployment Insurance earnings data and the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), additional administrative data and data from censuses and surveys. From these data, the program creates statistics on employment, earnings, and job flows at detailed levels of geography and industry and for different demographic groups. In addition, the LEHD program uses these data to create partially synthetic data on workers' residential patterns. The LEHD data has been used to look at “how the pandemic exacerbated Greater Minnesota's workforce challenges,” “how have women’s opportunities in the workplace in North Carolina been affected by the Covid Pandemic,” “what may be driving growth in the ‘gig economy,” and more.

Read more about each of these sessions at our conference hub. When you register, you can choose to register for one or all of these sessions.