Two Great Jobs, One New Organization! Posted on January 19, 2016 by wpengine After a great deal of research in preparation with our partners, we here at GTECH are thrilled we spread the word about not one but TWO awesome job openings at a brand new Pittsburgh organization. A snippet from the job descriptions below should provide a few hints as to why we're so excited (and hope you are too!): After nearly 2 years of planning, national best practice benchmarking and site visits, and significant outreach, a collaborative effort between six non-profits has given…Read More
Vacant Land Inspiration – Green Stormwater Infrastructure Posted on January 19, 2016 by wpengine What if we could simultaneously transform two sets of liabilities into assets? Massive financial investments are currently pouring into the Pittsburgh region to manage stormwater in order to 1) reduce combined sewer overflows and 2) improve water quality. Utilizing vacant land to manage stormwater represents an opportunity to improve community economic, environmental and social health through the transformation of two large sets of liabilities into assets. Cities across the nation, such as Cleveland, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Tallahassee, are repurposing vacant land…Read More
Thank You! Posted on January 13, 2016 by wpengine Thanks to our generous supporters GTECH was able to raise $28,459 in the $15K for $15K year end campaign! With the great success of this campaign we will be able to continue to support Ambassadors like Angela transform a blighted, vacant lot into a space of opportunity and inspiration for all to thrive. Not only will the $28,459 support activities like Angela’s in 2016, it will also ensure: That vacant lots are transformed into vibrant community-driven green spaces for youth with Green Playces…Read More
ROCIS: What I learned Posted on January 11, 2016 by Grounded Strategies Let's start with a bit of trivia - True or False: According to the EPA, the air inside the typical home is just as polluted as the air outside. The answer is False, but maybe not for the reason you think. Believe it or not, according to the EPA, air inside the average home is two to five times more polluted than the air outside. I learned firsthand about this through participation in the second round of the ROCIS Low Cost Monitoring Project.…Read More
5 Funding Sources to Help Sustain Your Greening Projects Posted on January 8, 2016 by wpengine Quick recap on the steps to implement a vacant lot project: 1. Use Lots to Love to select your lot and guide you through gaining access to the space. 2. Gather community input and support for your project. 3. Implement your project. 4. Sustain the project by holding events, maintaining and enhancing the space. In this blog, we explore step #4. Below are 5+ potential funding sources to help sustain your vacant lot greening projects. Love Your Block Love Your Block is a…Read More
Analyzing Cost and Energy Saving from the HHIP Program Posted on January 5, 2016 by wpengine “The connection between health and dwelling is one of the most important that exists.” -Florence Nightingale As we enter the new year and get ready for winter, homeowners start to see their energy bills rise. When we use more electricity and gas to heat our homes, it's important to think about how to reduce our energy costs and our carbon footprint. GTECH has been running the Healthy Homes Incentive Program (HHIP) for a year and the results are worth sharing. To…Read More
Words of Wisdom and Reflection from a GTECH Ambassador Posted on December 31, 2015 by wpengine With the holidays upon us, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment – whether it’s attending the endless holiday parties and family gatherings or running out to get a gift for that last impossible-to-buy-for person on your list – before we know it it’s January and we haven’t gotten a chance to relax and reflect on the past year. Here at GTECH we’re not immune. It’s been a mad dash to get everything finished before the holiday break,…Read More
Co-Designing with Hilltop Residents Posted on December 24, 2015 by wpengine Urban environments are continuously transitioning. As a result, the narrative of permanence in these areas is lost due to shrinkage caused by vacancy (Burkholder 2012). Vacancy is a huge problem facing U.S. cities that once relied heavily on the revenue from industrial production. The moniker "Rustbelt" is one that describes such cities spanning the upper Midwest and parts of some Northeastern states. Many of these cities struggle with turning the corner, and while some have successfully navigated the changing landscape, many continually work…Read More
Combining the Giving Power of Individuals with Companies Posted on December 20, 2015 by wpengine An estimated $6 to $10 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed per year. - Double the Donation The GTECH Social Capital Council is a cadre of energetic and socially conscious professionals who actively support and promote GTECH. It is a way for those who don’t necessarily work in the social sector to connect with community development activities, green economy issues and other sustainability projects. Council members promote and support GTECH through projects, events and contributions. We find that many…Read More
The Power of Mapping Posted on December 18, 2015 by wpengine I’ve always been obsessed with maps. Something about being able to see the whole picture, looking down from an imagined space above, knowing where everything lays... As a kid, I’d look at maps and pretend - I’m hiking on this mountain, in these woods. I’m visiting this town, crossing that ocean. Or I’d make up lands of my own, the backdrop to some grand adventure. Later, as an architecture student, I started making maps to analyze real spaces. I’d plot…Read More
GTECH wins the Green Workplace Challenge! Posted on December 16, 2015 by Grounded Strategies We didn't just participate in the Green Workplace Challenge, we WON the Green Workplace Challenge. (And we have the trophies to prove it!) Green Workplace Challenge 2015 Results: Small Nonprofit Category Winner: GTECH –722 points Top Commuter Footprint Reducer: GTECH Strategies - 9.4% Reduction In case you missed the announcement - GTECH was the winner of the Small Nonprofit Category AND the Top Commuter Footprint Reducer of the 2015 Green Workplace Challenge (GWC)! You may remember the GWC from our September post,…Read More
Resilience in Your Community Posted on December 11, 2015 by Grounded Strategies So we've talked about resilience in a national context, about policies and million dollar grants and about resilience on a city level. But what does all of that mean for the average person? For someone just trying to get by, who doesn't work in sustainability or in disaster relief. How does resilience influence my daily life? Resilience is important everywhere. It gets a lot of attention in this day and age because of the looming threats of climate change, the increasingly…Read More