Community Organization: Sustainable South Bronx

Sustainable South Bronx’s Environmental Stewardship Training Program (BEST) provides free green-collar job training for primarily Bronx borough residents, but it is open to all NYC residents. The 10 week program trains individuals in riverine and estuarine restoration (the Bronx River is the hands-on classroom), bioremediation, green roof installation, phytomediation, ecological, salt marsh and wetland restoration, stream bank stabilization, hazardous waste clean up and brownfield’s remediation. The program also includes valuable life skills in time management, financial management, resume writing, and environmental justice. In addition, the program offers certification programs in first aid and CPR, hazardous materials handling, OSHA, tree climbing and pruning.

Click here to see an informative interview with Majora Carter, executive director of Sustainable South Bronx, by Monica Trauzzi of OnPoint (10/23/2007) (written transcript included). The Grist also interviewed Carter (9/28/06), and The Nation reports about the cleaning of the Bronx River (8/13/07).