While access to parks and other green spaces have wide-ranging benefits for all citizens, these areas are especially vital to our nation’s youth. In urban areas such as the Route 9 Corridor community of New Castle, Delaware, young people are exposed to high levels of diesel emissions and other environmental risks, and there are few green spaces providing opportunities for recreation and fitness.
To address this lack, the Bezos Earth Fund will partner with New Castle Prevention Coalition (NCPC), an organization dedicated to promoting environmental and social justice for urban youth, to restore eight neighborhood-based parks spanning 300 acres in the Route 9 Community.
The NCPC will support the enhancement of existing community gardens and create, native plant gardens, enhanced tree canopy for reduced heat and pollution, recreational nature trails with safety lighting, and educational exhibits. In addition, the NCPC will fund 20-30 youth jobs within the park system as well as an entrepreneurship training program.