Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI) received a $100,000 contribution from Honda to accelerate Indiana’s transition to sustainable and climate-friendly practices.
The contribution will partially fund the McKinney Midwest Climate Project (MMCP), an initiative that partners with communities, businesses, and nonprofits in the state on high-impact climate solutions and connects students interested in sustainability and resilience careers to professional work experiences. Honda’s first grant to ERI, awarded in 2022, supported local climate action planning.
“Hoosiers across the state understand that climate change is bringing unparalleled challenges to Indiana communities—more rain, more heat, and new risks to the economy, public health, and the environment,” said ERI Managing Director Sarah Mincey. “Thanks to supporters like Honda, ERI and its partners are laying the groundwork for a resilient Indiana while simultaneously developing the next generation of sustainability leaders.”
Launched in 2021 with support from the McKinney Family Foundation, MMCP houses a pair of programs that are unlocking Indiana’s climate-resilient future: the Resilience Cohort and McKinney Climate Fellows.
Since 2019, the Resilience Cohort has worked with nearly 50 Indiana local governments on climate planning and preparedness and helped spur the adoption of eight community-wide climate action plans. This year, the Cohort is helping eight Hoosier communities assess their vulnerabilities to climate change impacts and make plans to reduce risk.
The McKinney Climate Fellows places IU undergraduate and graduate students into paid internships with Indiana local governments, businesses, and nonprofits to advance organizational goals related to climate and sustainability. Entering its seventh year, the program has resulted in more than 200 student fellowships and upwards of 64,000 hours of service to the state. Forty percent of past fellows have gone on to work in climate careers in the Midwest and 70 percent of past fellows live and work in Indiana.
Philanthropic support is vital in supporting ERI’s ongoing work to make Indiana a more resilient place now and for future generations. To learn more about how to support ERI, contact development manager Abby Henkel.
About the Environmental Resilience Institute
Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute brings together a broad coalition of government, business, nonprofit, and community leaders to help Indiana and the Midwest better prepare for the challenges of environmental change. By integrating research, education, and community, ERI is working to create a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future. Learn more at eri.iu.edu.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life’s potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety and community. Learn more at https://csr.honda.com/. “
