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Defining ALLY: ALLY is a 501(c) 3 citizen’s group providing leadership coaching and strategic guidance for policy development and implementation of environmental sustainability programs.
Headquartered in
ALLY provides sustainable leadership practices through relationship building, problem-solving and project development using a systems-based approach to the challenges of building green and healthy sustainable communities.
ALLY’s innovative approaches include strategic program development with Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) through ALLY’s Green & Healthy Schools Network.
ALLY has fostered connections and developed relationships to encourage the many stakeholders in the Cincinnati Public Schools system to green the schools. As a result of this collaboration, in 2009 the city’s Pleasant Ridge Montessori became home to the first
The district’s vision includes connecting to the community and changing the curriculum in addition to designing and constructing greener and healthier schools. http://my.cetconnect.org/GreenHealthySchools/index.asp.
ALLY is now collaborating with
Core Values:
As individuals, we believe we have an inherent responsibility to live in harmony with the many living systems of our planet. As an organization, we believe our fundamental challenge is a to establish a systemic understanding of the intimate relationship between the human condition and the health of all living systems.
To address such challenges, the following values serve as a foundation of ALLY:
· Sustainability – living systems are under tremendous strain from production, distribution, and consumption cycles which are out of balance – all of which have to be transformed.
· Environmental Justice – across the globe poor communities bear the brunt of waste dumping, destruction of livelihoods and natural habitats. ALLY supports work to challenge and change these injustices.
· Environmental Health – Living things especially young ones require healthy environments to thrive. School communities are educating many students with asthma and other respiratory diseases and those school communities can be transformed to support healthy growth and help to alleviate respiratory disease.
· Interconnection – human beings and living systems are irrevocably linked – one earth, one sky, one ocean, one people.
· Healthy Relationships – human conflicts and long term sustainability take time. Time that should be withdrawn from feeding addictions and consumerism.
· Local Action – significant change begins at home – with ourselves, our communities, and our institutions.
Program Development:
ALLY’s program development applies systems-based thinking to catalyze working partnerships by exploring the relationships between natural, human, and built ecologies. We seek to create a more resilient, lasting world through a variety of program development strategies.
Green & Healthy Schools Network
Goals:
1. To provide guidance to community leaders and catalyze working partnerships between Cincinnati Public Schools and a variety of organizations to develop sustainability programs.
2. To educate the public and school planning teams about sustainable design by:
- convening public forums,
- connecting school planning teams to technical assistance and
- collaborating with partners, such as CET and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College to produce educational and professional development materials.
3. To provide guidance for policy development and implementation of Cincinnati Public Schools’ Sustainable Design Initiatives.
Achievements:
By working in collaboration with Cincinnati Public Schools, architects, and community leaders, ALLY was a citizen catalyst for green and healthy schools in Cincinnati and Ohio
Through its Green and Healthy Schools Network, ALLY brought together many of the partners and projects for green school success. In August 2007, ALLY organized a technical assistance workshop where 60+ environmental education and community groups and businesses linked to CPS’ green schools program, leveraging many resources and saving CPS much time and effort for greening the schools.
ALLY also promoted the adoption of a resolution to incorporate the schools’ sustainable design features and environmental education into the curriculum of CPS’ educational program.
April 23, 2009 Event Sponsors:
Big Ass Fans
Blue Chip Solar and Wind
CET
Cincinnati Public Schools
Cincinnati Federation of Teachers
Flying Spider Monkey
GBBN Architects
Kane Foundation
KLH Engineers
Lohre & Associates
Melink
Mill Creek Watershed Council of Communities
Mill Creek Restoration Project
Metropolitan Sewer District
Park+Vine
Polaris Printing
SHP Leading Design
Turner Construction Company
US Green Building Council
Woman’s City Club
Wright Brothers