96701501

Description:
This agreement provides funding to Wichita State University. Specifically, the recipient will remove barriers and improve accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns. With this critical investment, Wichita State University Center will provide training and other assistance to build capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, writing strong grant proposals, and effectively managing grant funding. In addition, this center will provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants, thus removing barriers and improving accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns. It will also create and manage communication channels to ensure all communities have direct access to resources and information.

Activities:
The activities include: serving as a hub for information, training, resources, technical assistance (TA), and connection for addressing environmental justice and energy justice concerns in underserved communities in Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and federally recognized tribes; developing an operations center and focusing on creating a community assessment process and tools; hosting grant writing/management trainings, hosting civic engagement trainings, responding to requests from the general public regarding environmental and energy justice grant making and program needs, providing training and technical assistance to identify communities of greatest need (CGNs), and acting as a community engagement and outreach hub for the region.

Subrecipient:
Wichita State University EJ TCTAC Centers will provide guidance on community engagement, meeting facilitation, and translation and interpretation services for limited English-speaking participants, thus removing barriers and improving accessibility for communities with environmental justice concerns.

Outcomes:
The anticipated deliverables include targeted community engagements such as outreach, grant writing and evaluation workshops, trainings, community engagement events, etc. The expected outcomes include grant training, community needs assessment, surveys, interviews, mapping, research, and other tools to assess environmental justice or energy justice needs; and civic engagement and leadership development. The intended beneficiaries include large, small, rural, remote, and tribal communities; nonprofits; businesses; local governments; and state and federal agencies across the heartland of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and federally recognized tribes. The center will build a community's ability to participate in environmental justice and energy justice decision-making at all levels of government, find and apply for grants, and engage with the private sector to be part of energy and infrastructure project design and development.

Wichita State University

2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 1 - A CLEANER, HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT 1.1 - IMPROVE AIR QUALITY 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 7 - ENSURE SAFETY OF CHEMICALS FOR PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT 7.1 - ENSURE CHEMICAL AND PESTICIDE SAFETY 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 1 - A CLEANER, HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT 1.3 - REVITALIZE LAND AND PREVENT CONTAMINATION 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVA

66.309 - Surveys, Studies, Investigations, Training and Special Purpose Activities Relating to Environmental Justice

EPA Region 7: Kansas City [EPA - RO]

Wichita, Kansas United States

City-Wide

Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC) (EPA-I-OP-OEJ-22-02)

Termination This cooperative agreement was reported as terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in July 2025. See All
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 03/31/28 to 02/21/25 and the total obligations have increased 100% from $4,000,000 to $8,000,000.