Community Scholars Program 2009

Green Collar Jobs, Green Buildings & Social Justice:
Pathway to a Sustainable City

Community Scholars – initiated in 1992 - is an innovative multidisciplinary program that recognizes the important role that community and labor leaders play in shaping community development policy in Los Angeles. By bringing them together with urban planning, public policy and public health graduate students, the course provides an avenue to develop and apply research skills to critical policy issues facing Los Angeles. The project culminates in a unique product designed by the scholars and students.


Taught by LOSH Director Linda Delp, the 2009 Community Scholars two-part course focused on how the convergence of green jobs, green buildings and social justice in the City of Los Angeles can benefit workers, the community and the environment. Los Angeles is uniquely positioned to create model policies and programs within the state, providing a national model.

UCLA Labor Center Director Kent Wong, UCLA-LOSH Director Linda Delp, and Elsa Barboza, SCOPE and the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance
UCLA Labor Center Director Kent Wong, UCLA-LOSH Director Linda Delp,
and Elsa Barboza, SCOPE and the Los Angeles Apollo Alliance

Winter quarter research was presented with six preliminary Executive Summaries on March 18th, 2009 at the UCLA Downtown Labor Center to a group of distinguished guests.
The summaries 1) explored innovative approaches to address climate change and create green jobs through green building retrofits; 2) identified key components underlying the concept of good green safe jobs; and 3) discussed the integration of economic and environmental justice into community development.

More than 85 guests were in attendance at a briefing held at Los Angeles City Hall on June 11, 2009 where Spring Quarter Research was presented as a Working Paper for distribution and feedback.

A policy brief drawing on the research generated for the City Hall briefing has now been published by the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment in collaboration with LOSH: Good Green Safe Jobs: The Los Angeles Green Retrofit and Workforce Program. In addition, more than 100 key stakeholders participated in an all day conference "Working in Unity, Greening our Communities" on August 5, 2009 with a wide range of stakeholders.

A final report, integrating research from both quarters and the community scholars' recommendations, will be published in early September

Faculty: Linda Delp, PhD, Director, UCLA Labor Occupational Safety & Health Program (UCLA-LOSH)

Spring Quarter Briefing at Los Angeles City Hall


2009 City Scholars group photo at City Hall briefing
2009 Spring Quarter City Scholars at Los Angeles City Hall briefing
Ms. Barboza with LA City Deputy Major Larry Frank
Ms. Barboza listens to Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Larry Frank
Fall Quarter Class Presenters


Green Collar Jobs, Green Buildings and Social Justice: The Big Picture Presenters Green Collar Jobs, Green Buildings and Social Justice:
The Big Picture

Green Building Product Manufacturing Presenters
Green Building Product Manufacturing
Creating Demand for Green Retrofits Presenters Creating Demand for Private Green Retrofits Education and Workforce Development Strategies for Green Retrofit Jobs Presenters Education and Workforce Development Strategies for Green
Retrofit Jobs
Integrating Worker Health and Safety into Good Green Jobs Presenters Integrating Worker Health and Safety into Good Green Jobs Strategies to Implement the Los Angeles Green Building Retrofit and Workforce Development Ordinance Presenters Strategies to Implement the Los Angeles Green Building Retrofit
and Workforce Development Ordinance

For more information on the August conference or to receive a copy of the final report, contact Susan Holcomb, LOSH Administrative Specialist .

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