The Atlantic Cape May Sustainable Jersey Hub will host a free public workshop designed to help residents, Green Team members, and community leaders learn how to work effectively with elected officials and how to advance sustainability initiatives at the local level.
The event will take place Wednesday, March 25 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Egg Harbor Township Community Center, 5045 English Creek Avenue. The workshop is open to the public and will feature presentations from local and state elected officials along with real-world case studies of successful community-led initiatives. Sustainable Jersey founder Randy Solomon will also share insights on the importance of civic engagement.
Advancing positive change in local communities often depends on the ability to establish, support and enforce municipal ordinances and resolutions. Yet many residents are unfamiliar with how local rulemaking works or how to effectively engage with policymakers.
This workshop will provide participants with practical guidance on how ideas move from concept to policy and how residents can constructively collaborate with elected leaders to move important initiatives forward.
“The information we’ll cover applies to all kinds of action, not just environmental issues,” Hub co-chair Amy Menzel noted. “It’s relevant for anyone who wants to help effect change.”
Attendees will hear directly from legislators and municipal officials about:
• How an idea becomes a law or municipal ordinance
• The most effective ways for residents and Green Teams to present ideas to lawmakers
• How to prepare before approaching elected officials
• Who to engage at different levels of government
• Strategies for gaining support for community initiatives
• How residents can help elected officials move legislation forward
“This workshop is about learning how to work together to strengthen our communities,” Hub co-chair Ralph Cooper said. “Our goal is to give participants the knowledge and tools they need to engage constructively with elected officials and help move sustainability initiatives forward.”
The event will also highlight a successful local campaign that began at the community level. “This case-study, the current effort to address and contain microplastics generated during construction activities, provides a great real-world example of how residents can work with elected officials to make positive change. It also shows how actions at the local level can ripple outward; other towns have used this model to pass ordinances and resolutions in other municipalities, and this issue is now getting attention at the state level,” Hub co-chair Amy Menzel noted.
Organizers say the workshop is intended to foster collaboration and dialogue between community members, sustainability advocates, and public officials.
“This is an opportunity not only for residents to learn about the legislative process, but also for legislators to better understand Sustainable Jersey’s mission and the important role local Green Teams play in advancing sustainability initiatives,” Cooper noted. “The focus of the event is on learning and collaboration.”
The workshop will be held at the Egg Harbor Township Community Center, located at 5045 English Creek Avenue.
Residents, sustainability advocates, Green Team members, and anyone interested in learning how to make their voice heard though civic engagement are encouraged to attend.
For more information and to register for the event got to: bit.ly/CivicMarch25. To learn more about the Atlantic Cape May Sustainable Jersey Hub, go to atlanticcapemayregionalhub.wordpress.com.
