Cambridge:  Cambridge Community Corps (C3) Climate Readiness Project

FY23 MVP Action Grant led by the City of Cambridge. Under the proposed project, the Cambridge Community Corps will expand its scope to include climate change resilience and preparedness practices through the lens of public health. The project will further develop the Community Corp model, identify ways for the program to continue to be sustained long-term, and explore how such a model could be replicated and expanded in other jurisdictions in Massachusetts.

Project Details

Project Title

Cambridge Community Corps (C3) Climate Readiness Project

Municipality

Cambridge

MVP Region

Greater Boston

Award Year

FY2023

Grant Award

$150,000 

Project Length 

Two-Year

Community Overview

• Cambridge is a city of approximately 118,000 residents located just north of Boston, Massachusetts.
• Much of Cambridge is comprised of environmental justice (EJ) census tracts, with 33.1% of the total population being People of Color (POC) as of the 2020 Census. Some census tracts have over 70% POC residents.
• Cambridge has eight census tracts with more than 35% people of color and less than 150% of statewide median income. Two census tracts have more than 25% of households with language isolation. 

Project Description and Goals

Key project goals included: 

1. Building capacity of the Cambridge Community Corps (C3) to engage in climate change preparedness efforts, focusing on major threats identified in Resilient Cambridge:
   1. Flooding due to sea level rise and potential dam overtopping
   2. Severe storms overwhelming stormwater systems
   3. Extreme heat, with summer heat index potentially reaching 110ºF by 2070s
2. Reducing climate health risks among residents of Cambridge's EJ neighborhoods through targeted C3 outreach.
3. Catalyzing knowledge sharing among similar community health outreach programs.

We leveraged the existing C3 program, originally created for COVID-19 response, to address climate readiness. This approach utilized established community connections to reach vulnerable populations 

To address these climate threats and achieve project goals, we worked with C3 to develop training materials, collect resources, and organize community events to enable their leadership in climate readiness activities. C3 Members led climate readiness activities citywide. However, engagement prioritized activities in areas known to be heat islands or prone to flooding and leveraged existing relationships with property managers of affordable housing complexes to connect with Cambridge’s more climate vulnerable residents. 

Regional benefits were provided through knowledge sharing activities, including hosting a Regional Climate Readiness Forum, a webinar on community liaison models, and making all project management, curriculum development, and final training modules available on the project page.

The project was completed within the proposed two-year timeframe.

Results and Deliverables

The project team led several key tasks to advance project goals:

• Developed a 7-module Climate Readiness Training Curriculum, including detailed 1-hour (virtual) and 2-hour (in-person) presentations and facilitator agendas along with learning activities and session evaluation sheets (e.g. C3 Climate Readiness Training Manuals)
• Delivered 9 training sessions to C3 over 2 summers.
• Published Project Website with Climate Readiness Training Manuals, Project Management, and Evaluation Tools for regional dissemination (available on the project page)
• C3 members implemented a program of climate readiness outreach and education, prioritizing environmental justice areas. These included:
• Conducting social capital surveys,
• Distributing heat wave resources,
• Tabling at events to raise awareness of climate readiness,
• Supporting flooding infrastructure projects, and
• Hosting community-building events (e.g. ‘Cool’ Block Party, and Hoops & Health)
• Hosted regional events to convene, learn, and discuss climate readiness and the community liaison model with leaders and staff from other organizations and municipalities. This included:
• Regional Climate Readiness Forum at the Cambridge Community Center
• Equitable Engagement with Community Liaisons webinar (Recording), and
• Presentations to several Cambridge coalitions.

The project team proposed to measure success through 1. municipal department engagement, 2. reach into the community, 3. training curriculum effectiveness, and 4. the effectiveness of C3 activities in promoting behavioral and institutional changes. Below is a summary of our success in each area:

1. Municipal department engagement: Multiple departments were engaged, including Public Health, Community Development, Public Works, and Emergency Management (see partners section). In evaluative conversations, project team members perceived the project as a successful cross-departmental collaboration.
2. Community members reach: Exact numbers not available, but outreach included tabling, door-to-door visits, and community events. Many (73%) of community event participants reported better awareness of climate and public health resources.
3. Training curriculum effectiveness: Highly effective in increasing knowledge and skills. Across all the training sessions, almost all (99%) of participants agreed strongly or somewhat that 1) their voice was valued, and 2) the trainers provided clear explanations. After training sessions, most (87%) of C3 members felt prepared to discuss climate topics and behavioral changes with residents.
4. Promoting behavioral and institutional changes: The City is hiring an emergency manager and CDD is reorganizing their Climate and Energy team, making it difficult to track institutional change metrics. C3 members expressed strong interest in being part of future emergency preparedness work around climate hazards, suggesting potential for future systems changes  

Lessons Learned

• Interactive, hands-on activities with concrete, locally relevant examples were most effective for engaging C3 members in learning and connecting climate issues to the community.
• C3 members expressed strong interest in direct community engagement beyond information sharing. Community engagement was most successful when paired with fun, interactive events (e.g., block parties) or when addressing immediate community needs. Cambridge is now exploring ways to formalize C3's participation in emergency response work.
• Some returning C3 members found repetition in basic content, suggesting a need for tiered learning opportunities. The foundational training modules ensure all members have a shared base of knowledge and should be offered annually. Returning members should be encouraged to go deeper into areas of interest through supplemental learning opportunities with topical experts.
• Members expressed interest in continuing climate-related work, but also in expanding into other public health areas. Members expressed interest in certifications or continuing education credits to enhance their professional development. They also expressed a desire for more skill-based training (e.g., CPR, Narcan administration) alongside topic-based learning.
• Community liaison or outreach groups, like C3, require significant staff capacity to organize. While the grant provided additional capacity, sustaining the program's activities and development goals in the future remains a challenge. The program requires significant staff capacity for organization, training, and member support.
• The C3 program demonstrated flexibility in responding to community needs and interests, which was seen as a strength to be maintained. 

Partners and Other Support

Partnerships were crucial to the project’s success, providing diverse expertise and resources that enhanced the program's effectiveness and reach. Partners included:

• City of Cambridge Community Development Department, Climate and Energy: Supported grant management and coordination with other city climate initiatives.
• Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD), Equity, Resilience and Preparedness: Led project implementation and C3 program management.
• Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD), Environmental Health: Provided subject matter expertise for training modules and co-facilitated relevant trainings.
• Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC): Provided technical assistance, curriculum development, and evaluation support.
• Various city departments and coalitions (e.g., Healthy Eating and Active Living, Food and Fitness Policy Council, Community and Social Resilience Workgroup, Data Services, Department of Public Works, Emergency Management): provided subject matter expertise for training modules.
• Cambridge Community Center: Trusted resource for C3 and community members alike, hosted regional forum.