NYPA Press Release

Power Authority’s Environmental Justice Team Partners with Massena Housing Authority, Massena Police Activities League to Bring Fun and Educational Events to North Country Community

WHITE PLAINS—The New York Power Authority (NYPA), in partnership with the Massena Housing Authority (MHA) and the Massena Police Activities League (PAL) will host several community events between Aug. 9 and Aug. 12. The Power Authority’s Environmental Justice (EJ) team will host a three-day STEM camp for PAL students as well as weatherization workshops and other community events for MHA residents at various locations.

“Community engagement is a cornerstone of all that we do in Environmental Justice,” said NYPA Vice President of Environmental Justice Lisa Payne Wansley. “It is a pleasure to work with our valued community partners, the Massena Housing Authority and the Police Activities League to bring fun and educational events to this community.”

 

Schedule of Events:

Tuesday, Aug. 9:

NYPA’s EJ team will kick off a three-day STEM camp for PAL students at the 30 Bayley Road location in Massena, educating the students on different energy related topics through hands-on learning experiences. Participants will be divided into teams based on their age and work together to solve engineering challenges. The camp will include a career panel of NYPA employees from NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project. To celebrate the final day of the STEM camp, the Nicandri Nature Center—located in Robert Moses State Park—will bring animals to teach campers about the region’s native wildlife.

Also on Tuesday, NYPA will host the first Environmental Justice Employee Volunteer Community Corps Day of Service in the North Country. Staff from NYPA’s St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project will join the EJ team to assist residents from MHA’s Laurel Terrace with clean-up and beautification projects around the complex’s community center. Volunteers will repaint Laurel Terrace’s community room and various entrance rooms throughout the building.

Wednesday, Aug. 10:

NYPA’s Environmental Justice Group will sponsor two in-person, hands-on weatherization workshops for MHA residents. The workshops will teach homeowners and renters low-cost ways of improving energy efficiency and lowering utility costs without compromising comfort or safety. The workshops will take place at MHA’s Laurel Terrace and Grasmere Gardens Terrace complexes.

Friday, Aug. 12:

NYPA will close out the week with the Third Annual Community Education Day. MHA residents will be invited to participate in the free day of family fun that will include energy experiments, face painting, rides on NYPA’s energy bike, and magic and nature shows. The event will also include free barbecue and all-you-can-eat ice cream. The dunk tank, featured at last year’s event, will also return this year.

For more information about the community events, please contact Kaela Mainsah, Director of Environmental Justice at Kaela.Mainsah@nypa.gov.

More information on NYPA’s Environmental Justice program can be found here.

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About NYPA

NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.