NC Disaster Survival and Resiliency School

Program Status: Active (program coordinator position posted June 2022)

Geographic Scope: North Carolina (statewide focus)

The NC Disaster Survival and Resiliency School supports local, regional, and statewide disaster community organizing in communities impacted by climate disasters. The program aims to empower impacted community leaders and grassroots organizations to lead long-term redevelopment, recovery, and resiliency efforts.

Focus Areas:

• Climate disasters including hurricanes, droughts, flooding, heat stress, and forest fires
• Community organizing in disaster-impacted areas
• BIPOC community engagement and leadership
• Systems change campaigns in NC disaster response system
• Equitable and empowering disaster preparedness, relief, recovery, and resiliency

Program Principles:

• Community residents impacted by disaster should lead long-term recovery efforts
• Focus on empowerment and community decision-making
• Partnership with public and private agencies
• Treated as community partners, not individual clients

Program Components:

• Weekly virtual statewide meetings
• Online resources
• Education and training workshops and programs

Program Structure:

• Directed by established Advisory Board
• Strong support from SVA staff and Board
• Focus on BIPOC communities in disaster organizing