Partnerships Academy: Street Trees is a new free one-year program, customized for street tree stewards, and combines group workshops with individual support, small grants, training, and networking opportunities. The program will support projects that aim to have significant, long-term impact on street tree stewardship.
What does the program offer?
- Six monthly workshops followed by six months of
project execution and one-on-one support.
- A small grant to support projects.
- Individual consultations to help develop and refine
work plans, strategies, and goals.
- Group sessions that allow tree stewards to network and learn from one another as well as experts in the field.
When does it start?
The program begins September 2008. Applications are available April 1, 2008, and are due by June 15, 2008.
Workshop topics
Sessions will be led by Partnerships for Parks and feature presentations by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, City Parks Foundation, MillionTreesNYC institutional partners, and established tree stewards on topics such as:
- Technical challenges such as tree care and watering logistics, and aesthetics of planting, signage, and tree guards.
- Developing an effective message about street trees, tailored to potential partners.
- Strategies to raise visibility and partner effectively in a community, and build relationships with civic groups, businesses, schools, or individuals.
- Project planning and implementation.
Examples of potential projects
These are just to give you an idea. Be creative!
- Making tree signs (i.e., tree identification,
dog-curbing) reflective of neighborhood culture, with local groups or
schoolchildren.
- Initiating a neighborhood coalition of dog owners and
tree stewards to raise awareness about the hazards of dog waste.
- Partnering with biking organizations to raise
awareness about locking bikes to trees.
- Putting on a street festival to celebrate trees with
music, art, and hands on care.
- Hosting a weekly neighborhood Adopt-a-Tree care team
with an emphasis on public health and exercise.
- Creating incentives and recognition for businesses to adopt street trees and water them on regular basis.
Who is eligible?
Applicants need not have prior experience working with the Parks Department, but must be interested in working on street trees or other trees under its jurisdiction, and should have a specific goal or project in mind. Commitment to the full one-year program is required, including group workshops, between-session assignments, and completion of an independent project.
Applicants may be individuals or groups with previous experience working on street trees or neighborhood issues.
Projects should be community-based and offer sustainable solutions with potential to be replicated elsewhere in the city.
Projects may be of any scale or geographical area, but should aim to have significant, long-term impact on street tree stewardship.
For more information and application materials:
For more information, see www.partnershipsforparks.org or contact Channaly Oum at 212-676-1929 or channaly.oum@parks.nyc.gov.
