Title
Authorizing the City of Saint Paul to apply for a $25,000 planning grant to connect children to nature in Saint Paul and, if successful, enter into an agreement with the National League of Cities and Children & Nature Network.
Body
WHEREAS, Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) is an initiative of the National League of Cities’ Youth, Education, and Families and the Children & Nature Network; and
WHEREAS, CCCN provides technical assistance and peer learning opportunities for cities to confront issues such as the decline of unstructured outdoor play and higher rates of emotional and physical health challenges related to sedentary, indoor lifestyles, and disparities in nature access among socioeconomic and racial lines; and
WHEREAS, CCCN offers up to $25,000 in planning grant funds to cities, with no matching funding needed, to increase engagement with the natural world among children in economically stressed communities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul was selected as one of 16 cities nationally to participate in the CCCN Leadership Academy and is therefore eligible to apply for a planning grant; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Parks and Recreation wishes to submit a proposal for $25,000 to conduct a community assessment and identify priority strategies to connect children to nature in Saint Paul; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Department of Parks and Recreation is authorized to submit a grant applicaiton on behalf of the City and, if successful, the appropriate city authorities are authorized to enter into an agreement with Cities Connecting Children to Nature to accept the funds on behalf of the City.