News Release

October 27, 2009

Contact: Douglas Robinson, 202-220-2360, drobinson@nw.org
Erin Angell Collins, 202-220-6317, ecollins@nw.org

NeighborWorks America Adds Two New “Green” Courses to its National Training Institute Curriculum; Offerings Designed to Help Communities Go Green

Washington, DC – NeighborWorks America, the nation’s largest trainer of community development professionals expanded its curriculum of energy efficiency and healthy homes courses to include two new classes designed to help community leaders engage residents in creating greener communities, and to help non-profit managers improve the green footprint of their organizations.

The new courses, Taking Green Action in Your Community, and Greening Your Organization” bring the total number of “Green” courses taught at the upcoming NeighborWorks Training institute to six. In all, NeighborWorks America offers 16 green courses. The next NeighborWorks Training institute is December 7-11 in suburban Washington, D.C. Registration is still open at www.nw.org/training.

“These courses are great additions to our existing offerings, providing important information for non-profit leaders that will help them reduce the carbon footprint of their organizations, and help educate residents on how to ensure that the communities in which they live are healthy and sustainable,” said Thomas Deyo, director of green programs at NeighborWorks America.

Greening Your Organization is supplemented by a guide released earlier this year by NeighborWorks America, Greening Your Non-Profit From the Inside Out. Produced in conjunction with Strategic Sustainability Consulting, the 84-page guide contains case studies that non-profit organizations around the country can follow to lower their energy usage and increase the health quality of the places they work and the housing that they build.

“All of the courses and the guide are part of NeighborWorks America’s program called, “Think Green, Act Green”, a commitment to advance environment responsibility across the community development industry,” added Deyo.  More on this commitment can be found at www.nw/green.

About NeighborWorks America

NeighborWorks America creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. Since 1991, we have assisted nearly 1.2 million low- to moderate-income families with their housing needs. Much of our success is achieved through our support of the NeighborWorks network ― more than 230 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $15 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.