REAP & Partners Win Major Workforce Grant
In a major breakthrough for climate workforce development, the partnership between REAP, Greenbelt Alliance, and Pacific Coast Community Services was chosen as major recipients of a Catalyst Grant funded by California Jobs First through the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative. The grant awarded $530,760 to fund REAP programs to build pathways for regenerative jobs.
This grant represents a big step forward in our mission of providing ecological experiences and climate job pathways, and a ringing endorsement of our theory that green infrastructure and innovation support quality jobs and economic development while fostering community resilience.
REAP aims to provide the tools and trades for communities to grow Earth-Conscious Industries, validating our core findings that:
Climate Risk is Business Risk, Climate Mitigation is Opportunity
Workforce and Industry Gaps Threaten Community Resilience
Green Infrastructure and Innovation Provide Jobs
Our project, The Regenerative Jobs Program, will drive at REAP's core impact strategy: to provide under-represented groups with access to environmental education and workforce training. Equity and climate change mitigation yield economic value. In supporting jobs with positive community and environmental impacts, we generate resilient, forward-thinking economies.
The grant will enable us to:
Develop four new accredited certificate programs in fungi-based bioremediation, biochar, vermiculture, and composting
Provide hands-on training to under-served communities in the Bay Area at REAP’s Alameda campus
Support clients with professional development and career skills
This project will launch a series of job-training courses as well as develop our Regenerative Labs and workshops. The program will enroll 40 clients in this first phase, eventually serving 100 clients annually within these disciplines.
We’re immensely proud of this program and the coalition we built to support it. It would not be possible without the help of our partners, Greenbelt Alliance and Pacific Coast Community Services. We are also grateful for California Jobs First and the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative and their commitment to building a community-led, climate-forward economy.
Coming into 2025, we have never been in a stronger place from a fundraising standpoint. In addition to this Catalyst grant, we have raised funding from many other sources
