Whidbey Island Green Living Institute

~ Langley Project, Planning Phase I ~

Community Needs and Project Goals

Langley, Washington is a small rural community on Whidbey Island where there is a growing wealth of green building and lifestyle resources that could become the basis of a new Green Economy directly benefitting rural residents and families. Langley’s population of 959 persons with a median household income of $34,742 (below the national average of $41,994) makes Langley eligible for low income, underserved, very-rural project funding that can help solve the economic challenges Langley is facing. Two of the greatest challenges Langley needs to address are developing new job opportunities and affordable housing that help retain families and youth. With its aging rural population, closing of local businesses, immediate loss of high school graduates to urban centers, and enrollment in its K-12 schools decreasing, Langley lacks much needed economic development, continued education, and affordable housing opportunities which are all factors directly causing a rapid loss of families, youth – and workforce.

How can Langley retain its youth and families while also preserving its special local character? How can we help foster new business opportunities that create new jobs and enhance community-wide economic development? These challenges can be met by fostering green business development, by expanding local higher education and vocational training services that create a new local workforce, and by improving affordable housing options. Building a strong, local Green Economy is one possible solution to these inter-related challenges.

 As part of an innovative Whidbey Island rural economic development effort – and youth retention strategy – the non-profit Heritage Ranch, Inc. organization is developing a Green Living Institute that will provide training and resources for local non-profit and government agencies. The trainings will focus on strategies for developing and delivering resource saving green technology and green lifestyle products and services to their beneficiary members and constituents.

 The goals of the Green Living Institute are to:

1)     foster rural economic development by increasing the capacity of local organizations and businesses to identify and implement responsible, sustainable green services and products that meet rural food security, housing, energy, health, and transportation goals

2)     coordinate job training, service learning, and work force mentoring opportunities for youth in conjunction with Green Living experts and operations, including energy audits and greening business practices

3)     help create new jobs that retain local youth in their rural home community

4)     contribute towards building a vibrant green economic base that protects and preserves the local rural quality of life for the benefit of future generations.