The purpose of this program is to build resilient communities comprised of residents that are engaged and empowered to create solutions for the challenges facing their communities. Funding will support community engagement activities that provide best practice strategies and lessons learned on how to effectively educate and empower local residents to be active drivers in planning, design, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of a green infrastructure project in their local park. Projects must take place at a park site in a low-income, underserved community, and must also include significant green infrastructure components.

Projects supported through this program will:

• Have an existing community engagement plan that considers the particular needs and barriers to participation of local residents and demonstrates how they will create a community engaged in green infrastructure solutions
• Include community partners, committees, and local leadership in engagement and implementation
• Outline strategies for measuring success and describe how local residents will continue to be engaged in the project after the project period
• Identify and describe the underserved, low-income community that they will reach, including demographic statistics compared to the surrounding communities and region

Demonstrate the need for and impact the green infrastructure project will have on the community