Day 1: Sustainable Cities
Climate Change, Environmental Hazards, and the City: What’s an Organization to Do?
Join Isles’ Founder Marty Johnson as he explores why the environment and critical urban issues need your attention. Hear lessons from 40 years of starting and growing Isles.
Advancing Equitable & Clean Transportation for All
Join us for a discussion on how cities throughout the nation are advancing clean transportation solutions to support mobility, equity, and employment. We will also discuss lessons learned and preview new projects, including an electric vehicle pilot under development in Trenton.
Urban Agriculture and Climate Change
Urban agriculture is primarily seen as a way of providing local, healthy food to underserved neighborhoods, but it also plays a key role in making cities more resilient to changing climate and helps to reduce a city’s contribution to greenhouse gases. Come learn about the role urban agriculture plays in protecting Trenton’s future in a climate changing world.
Day 2: NJM Urban Placemaking Day
Partnership and Planning for the Future
In 2019, the City of Trenton and the Trenton Housing Authority, with Isles as partner, was awarded a competitive HUD grant to develop a plan for the future of Donnelly Homes and the surrounding North Trenton Neighborhood. Join this session to learn about the progress to date, the potential for neighborhood transformation through the Choice process, and how the many partners in this project are working together to create a healthy, safe, sustainable neighborhood.
Stronger Neighborhoods through local Housing Policy: Building the Foundations of a Housing Policy Coalition
Housing policy and enforcement shapes and defines the character, strength, and health of neighborhoods. Isles and Trenton Health Team have partnered to establish and support a city- and region-wide housing coalition. Come hear about what we’ve learned and done so far, and be a part of crafting housing policy improvements as we move forward.
Creative Arts and Economic Development: Sparking and Sustaining Downtown Trenton
The Creek to Canal Creative District builds upon the energy and activities of key creative groups and individuals in and around downtown Trenton. Join a conversation of representatives from the creative scene in downtown to learn about their activities and the broader movement to use the arts and creative activities to spark and sustain momentum in downtown.
Social Profit Center at Mill One
Earlier this year, Isles opened the Social Profit Center at Mill One, a space for nonprofits, social impact businesses, and artists located in the Bromley neighborhood of Hamilton. Join us to see updates on the opening of the 75,000 square foot Center, hear from tenants on how it’s designed to strengthen collaboration and capacity across the region, and learn about making a place-based impact in the surrounding neighborhood.
Day 3: Lead Safe New Jersey
Lead & the Law: Tenant & Homeowner Protections
Currently, New Jersey residents are either unaware of, or have little ability to protect their right to a habitable home free from lead-based paint hazards (and other lead exposure.) While lead poisoning prevention and enforcement varies across the United States, best practices have been identified in Maryland, Rhode Island, Rochester, NY and other municipalities that can serve as a platform for positive change. Panelists will discuss the existing legal remedies and the pending new lead safe legislation in NJ that can chart a powerful path forward in NJ towards permanently removing lead from New Jersey homes and communities.
Doing Better at our Primary Mission – Protecting Kids
There is more that we can do to prevent lead poisoning and to improve services for children already affected by lead. Panelists will discuss the state of housing code enforcement in New Jersey, national models for how to craft better housing codes, ideas for more effective enforcement and recommendation protocols for helping families mitigate the impacts of early exposure.
Community-led Lead initiatives to Protect Children from Lead
Community led initiatives across the US have resulted in significant and sometimes revolutionary changes in the political will to remove lead-based hazards from the environment for children and families. Panelist will provide case studies for several of these citizen/community led initiatives, discuss why they were so effective and how such a movement could be generated in New Jersey.
Day 4: Building the Future
Isles Youth Institute Open House
For 26 years, Isles Youth Institute (IYI) has empowered young adults in Trenton to gain an education and embark on a self-reliant career path. Hear from IYI staff and alumni about the academic, vocational, life skills, job development, and community service opportunities that IYI has to offer.
New Jersey YouthBuild Panel
The YouthBuild model employed by IYI aims to engage young people in their communities, all while gaining valuable education and work experience – building both the individual and the community. Come learn about specific goals of YouthBuild as well as participate in a panel discussion of regional realities and best practices.
Violence Prevention Panel
Youth violence is a significant public health problem that affects thousands of young people each day, and in turn, their families, schools, and communities. You are invited into an exploration of realities and violence prevention strategic responses led by a panel of Trenton youth and community development leaders.
Challenges and Lessons in Developing Anti-Racist Organizations
The anti-racism protests of last summer once again drew attention to the legacy of racism and the history of slavery ingrained into American culture, including in the nonprofit and social services sector. Come hear a panel of experts discuss what organizations can do to address racism in their service delivery, and what proactive anti-racist steps can be taken to contribute to the dismantling of white supremacy.
Day 5: Healthy Housing/Healthy Families
Healthy Housing/Healthy Families
This session introduces participants to the concept of “housing as a vaccine” and outlines the role of community development agencies in the process of tackling health through healthy housing services.
Opportunities for Future-focused Green Jobs for New Jersey
New Jersey has set considerable goals for reducing energy consumption, improving electrification and making homes lead safe. This panel will discuss the barriers and opportunities for creating green jobs to provide energy efficiency, lead safe work and solar installation.
8 Keys to a Healthy Home
Want to learn how to avoid asthma triggers in your home, create green cleaning products, safely deal with pests, and more? This overview of 8 keys to a healthy home provides you with practical information and handouts to use to help keep your homes safe and healthy.
Foster self-reliant families and healthy sustainable communities