Definitions & References

Service members enrolled in a WCCN-affiliated service project.

Projects or activities that achieve any of the following:

• Reduce vulnerable population characteristics, environmental burdens, or associated risks that contribute significantly to the cumulative impact designation of overburdened communities;
• Meaningfully protect an overburdened community from, or support community response to, the impacts of air pollution or climate change; or
• Meet a community need identified by vulnerable members of the overburdened community.

An approach to service project design and delivery in which community members actively lead and participate at every stage—from planning and development to implementation and evaluation. This model ensures that projects are conceived, executed, and assessed by individuals who understand and are invested in the community’s unique needs and dynamics.

• In the context of the WCCN, the “By and For” Model emphasizes creating initiatives that are both informed by and benefit overburdened communities, thereby enhancing their capacity, resilience, and overall well-being.

Exposing young adults to hands-on trainings, professional networks, and skills-based certifications for service architects to be better prepared for careers that build Washington’s clean energy, climate-resilient future.

Example: A young adult in rural Washington joins a bioengineering firm to support a green energy project. This young adult creates drawings and blueprints for preliminary construction activities using CAD software. After joining the WCCN, they are exposed to roles, tasks, and tools required for a career designing bioengineering systems and structures.

The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) is a geospatial mapping tool designed to identify disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment.

Strategies, activities, or plans that strengthen communities’ capacity to prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

• Climate resilient strategies, activities, or plans may focus on mitigation or adaptation activities, including but not limited to urban greening, wildfire reduction, heat island mitigation, distributed energy systems, sea-level rise management and response, air quality improvement, soil restoration, carbon sequestration, or food security.
• Climate resilience goals and approaches may be updated through future Washington plans or reports, such as:
  • The Department of Ecology’s Integrated Climate Change Response Strategy.
  • The WCCN Community Engagement Report
  • The Department of Health’s Environmental Justice Council
• WCCN climate resilience service program strategies, activities, or plans should relate to and support those plans.

Addressing disproportionate environmental and health impacts in all laws, rules, and policies with environmental impacts by prioritizing vulnerable populations and overburdened communities, the equitable distribution of resources and benefits, and eliminating harm.

• Established under RCW 70a.02.010: “means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, rules, and policies.”

An established organization that has an established 501(c)(3) tax-exemption

The organization or project that does not have its own 501(c)(3) status and is “borrowing” the fiscal sponsor’s 501(c)(3) status. These terms are used interchangeably, unless specifically noted otherwise.

The arrangement previously described between a Sponsored Organization and a Sponsor that should be captured into a written agreement called a fiscal sponsorship agreement.

• From a legal perspective there are different models to structure a fiscal sponsorship relationship. Depending on the model, the roles and responsibilities of Sponsor and Sponsored Organization will be different.
• For more information, please review the Fiscal Sponsorship Toolkit, by the Communities of Opportunity.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines green jobs as either:

1. Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources; or
2. Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.

Any businesses, committees, boards, organizations, academic institutions, public agencies, and service programs supporting the mission goals, and service-learning program of the WCCN.

Indirect costs are the overhead expenses that support the entire organization or the specific project but are not easily attributable to individual projects. Examples of Indirect costs may include but are not limited to internet, utilities, administrative salaries, accounting, legal services, general office supplies, and general office equipment.

All awarded organizations will be allowed a rate of no more than 10% of their award to be spent on indirect costs.

Strategies, activities, or plans that reduce or aim to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and other defined greenhouse gases).

• Such strategies, activities, or plans may focus on, but are not limited to, carbon sequestration, carbon capture, deployment of renewable resources, or decarbonization in buildings, transportation, and vehicles.
• Specific low-carbon goals and approaches may be defined further in specific Washington plans or policies. Where possible WCCN low-carbon service program strategies, activities, or plans should relate to and support those plans.

Mentoring takes place between young people (i.e., mentees) and older or more experienced people (i.e., mentors) who are engaged in a relationship to provide support that benefits one or more areas of the mentee’s development.3

• WCCN architects must receive some form of mentorship throughout their service with a host agency.
• Mentors may be a WCCN alumni, staff, community residents, or fellow architects uniquely positioned to help WCCN architects excel in their roles, receive support throughout their project, and advance their connections and professional goals in the green and blue economies.

An employer may not displace an employee or position, including partial displacement such as reduction in hours, wages, or employment benefits.

• A service opportunity may not infringe upon the promotional opportunity of an employed individual.
• A participant in a program receiving WCCN funds may not perform any services or duties or engage in activities that would otherwise be performed by an employee as part of the assigned duties of such employee.
• A participant in any program receiving assistance under this chapter may not perform any services or duties, or engage in activities, that
  • Will supplant the hiring of employed workers; or
  • Are services, duties, or activities with respect to which an individual has recall rights pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or applicable personnel procedures.
• A participant in any program receiving WCCN funds may not perform services or duties that have been performed by or were assigned to any—
  • Presently employed worker;
  • Employee who recently resigned or was discharged;
  • Employee who is subject to a reduction in force or who has recall rights pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or applicable personnel procedures;
  • Employee who is on leave (terminal, temporary, vacation, emergency, or sick); or
  • Employee who is on strike or who is being locked out.

A geographic area where vulnerable populations face combined, multiple environmental harms and health impacts4, and includes but is not limited to highly impacted communities (a community designated by the Department of Health based on a cumulative impact analysis)5 or a community located in census tracts that are fully or partially on Indian Country6.

All employees, staff members, and administrators whose work is essential to the execution of the project. This includes full-time, part-time, temporary, and contractual employees whose compensation—such as wages, salaries, and associated fringe benefits—is paid during the project period. Personnel costs must be directly attributable to the service project’s implementation and be clearly detailed in the budget. These costs may include not only base compensation but also legally mandated benefits, overhead allocations where permitted, and other related expenses as defined by the proposed project.

An intentional, prosocial approach that engages youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that is productive and constructive; recognizes, utilizes, and enhances young people’s strengths; and promotes positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and furnishing the support needed to build on their leadership strengths.

A service project is a coordinated, community-based initiative designed to address specific public or environmental needs. These projects mobilize volunteers or service members to provide tangible, on-the-ground benefits to local communities.

• In the context of the WCCN, a service project specifically targets building low-carbon and climate-resilient communities, engaging participants in hands-on activities that advance environmental justice, and improves community capacity in overburdened areas.

A method of encouraging learning and professional development administered by ServeWA and WCCN host agencies. This program requires active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in, and meets the needs of, an overburdened community in Washington.

A service-learning program must contain at least two of the following elements:

• It involves a school, institution of higher education, or community service along with the community.
• It helps foster civic responsibility and environmental stewardship.
• It is integrated into, and enhances, the professional skills or the educational components of the service project.
• It provides structured time for participants to reflect on their service experience.
• It exposes architects to climate-related professional and educational pathways.

An organization with fewer than 20 full-time staff equivalents and an operating budget of less than $4M in the fiscal year prior.

A stipend or living allowance is not a wage and awardees may not pay living allowances on an hourly basis. Programs must distribute the living allowance at regular intervals and in regular increments and may increase living allowance payments only on the basis of increased living expenses such as food, housing, or transportation. Living allowance payments may only be made to a participant during the participant’s term of service and must cease when the participant concludes the term of service. Programs may not provide a lump sum payment to a participant who completes the originally agreed-upon term of service in a shorter period of time.

Second Substitute House Bill 1176 (2SHB 1176) directs WCCN to “support equitable access to participation in the Washington climate corps network and reduce financial barriers for service members. This includes, but is not limited to, augmenting an architect’s living allowance with the intent to achieve or exceed the living wage established in the county of service, if a living wage is in place.”

Synonymous with “Indian country” as provided in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1151 and includes sacred sites, traditional cultural properties, burial grounds, and other tribal sites protected by federal or state law. Established under RCW 70a.02.010.

Racial or ethnic minorities, low-income populations, low-income populations, populations disproportionately impacted by environmental harm; populations of workers experiencing environmental harms (the individual or cumulative environmental health impacts and risk to communities caused by historic, current, or projected exposure to pollution, conventional or toxic pollutants, environmental hazards, or other contamination in the air, water, and land; adverse environmental effects, including exposure to contamination, hazardous substances, or pollution that increase risk of adverse environmental health outcomes or create vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change; loss or impairment of ecosystem functions or traditional food resources or loss of access to gather cultural resources or harvest traditional foods; health and economic impacts from climate change. Established under RCW 70a.02.010.

The Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map is an interactive mapping tool that compares communities across our state for disparities in environmental health. It combines multiple indicators of environmental threats, such as proximity to heavy traffic roadways and toxic releases from facilities with indicators of vulnerability, like socioeconomic status and health outcomes into one final rank. This rank indicates where vulnerable populations face multiple, combined environmental harms and risks, including from air pollution.

Washington residents who served at least one day in the United States military.

Residents between the ages of 17 and 31.