A grant-funded venture, the Oberlin Project has four full-time staff who coordinate stakeholder teams working on energy, education, policy, community engagement, economic development, transportation, research, and local foods and agriculture. Stakeholder teams include representatives from partner organizations (City, College, educational institutions, foundations, economic development entities), local and regional experts, and members of the Oberlin community. The Project became fully staffed in October 2011 and is continuing to change and grow.
The Oberlin Project is currently focused on six core goals consistent with the priorities established by the City of Oberlin and Oberlin College:
- Creating one of the first climate positive cities in America by shifting the City and College to renewable energy sources, radically improving efficiency, sharply reducing our carbon emissions, and improving our economy in the process.
- Creating new and supporting existing business ventures in energy efficiency and solar deployment, food and agriculture, and the sustainable use of local resources.
- Conserving 20,000 acres of green space and developing a robust local foods economy to meet 70% of our consumption.
- Creating an educational alliance between the College, the Oberlin schools, the Joint Vocational School, and Lorain County Community College focused on integrating sustainability into education at all levels.
- Developing a 13-acre Green Arts District at the US Green Building Council Platinum level.
- Serving as a model that can be replicated in other communities.
The Oberlin Project is a work in progress, with goals and projects that are being refined and updated through stakeholder input, community feedback, and experience. Learn more about how we are working towards our commitments at the Oberlin Project on our website or contact our office for more information.
