May 20, 2017

By Siobhan O’Kane and Jenna Wylie, ULI Tampa Bay
FROM THE 2017 URBAN LAND INSTITUTE TAMPA BAY "REALIZING RESILIENCE" REPORT

CATALYST MIAMI’S: CLEAR PROGRAM

Catalyst Miami is an anti-poverty nonprofit organization with a mission to develop and support individual leaders and strong organizations that work together to improve health, economic opportunity, and civic engagement in the Miami-Dade community. In response to the challenges that Miami- Dade County’s 2.7 million residents are likely to face as a consequence of climate change and sea level rise, Catalyst established the CLEAR Miami (Community Leadership on the Environment, Advocacy, and Resilience) program. CLEAR Miami is a 12-week training program focused on climate resilience education and leadership, which provides graduates with a groundwork to become climate resilience educators, leaders, and innovators in their own communities and beyond. By the end of the program the graduates have taken on community projects that include: incorporating environmental concerns in neighborhood coalitions, cleaning up garbage and promoting recycling in their neighborhoods, and promoting emergency preparedness.

“You can use your existing community organizations to become environmental champions. This is great way and great model to increase collaboration between community partners throughout St. Petersburg”. Zelalem Adefris, Climate Resilience Program Manager, Catalyst Miami

“Create an ecosystem of partnerships between existing groups to work towards becoming a resilient city.” Leigh Fletcher, Partner, Fletcher & Fischer

2017 URBAN LAND INSTITUTE TAMPA BAY "REALIZING RESILIENCE" REPORT