JANUS INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE PROJECT INITIATIVES

Project I: Common C.E.N.T. (Creating Energy-Efficient Neighborhoods Together) Program

Problem:The Department of Energy (DOE) reports that people living in older homes in low-income neighborhoods may lose as much as 20-40 percent of the money they spend on heating and cooling due to leakage. The DOE estimates that energy efficiency measures can save residents an average of $430 a year on their utility bills. While weatherization programs exist to address these issues, they cannot meet the current need. Fewer than 3,000 homes a year can be served by current weatherization programs in Arkansas. According to 2010 census data, the area targeted by the Common C.E.N.T. (Creating Energy-Efficiency Neighborhoods Together) Program had poverty rates over 30% and unemployment rates of 7%.

Low-income homeowners in the Central Little Rock Promise Neighborhood and Choice Neighborhood who qualify for energy efficient upgrades cannot afford to pay energy auditor to inspect their home and recommend areas of improvement. Additionally, low-income are usually unable to bear the full financial burden of minor to moderate energy upgrades.

Response: Janus Institute For Justice, in partnership with Village Commons and Arkansas Interfaith Power & Lights, created The Common C.E.N.T. Program to provide energy-efficiency upgrades to homeowners in the Central Little Rock Promise Neighborhood and Choice Neighborhood. Homeowners will work with home energy auditors to learn ways to conserve energy usage. Additionally, homeowners will work with home energy improvement teams to make necessary repairs, save money on energy cost and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are directly connected to climate change. Energy upgrades to qualifying low-income home owners will have a positive environmental impact and reduce homeowners monthly energy bills and thus their overall cost of living.

Project II: AR S.T.O.P.P. (School-to-Prison Pipeline) Initiative 

Problem: In the last decade, the punitive and overzealous tools and approaches of the modern criminal justice system, such as zero tolerance laws, have seeped into our schools, serving to remove children from mainstream educational environments and funnel them onto a one-way path toward prison. These various policies, collectively referred to as the School-to-Prison Pipeline, push children out of school and hasten their entry into the juvenile, and eventually the criminal, justice system, where prison is the end of the road. Historical inequities, such as segregated education, concentrated poverty, and racial disparities in law enforcement, all feed the pipeline. The School-to-Prison Pipeline is one of the most urgent challenges in education today.

Response: The AR S.T.O.P.P. Initiative is forming collaborative partnerships with private and non-profit stakeholders to develop and implement programs, campaigns and events consistent with directives and aspirations set forth in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline. The AR S.T.O.P.P. Initiatives consist of four programs: Positive School Climates (PSC) Program, AR S.T.O.P.P. Boys to Men Mentorship Program , AR S.T.O.P.P. Boys to Men Leadership, and AR S.T.O.P.P. Legal Awareness and Advocacy Program.

Project III: Girls to Women L.E.A.D. (Learn, Educate, Achieve & Develop) Initiative 

Problem: Today, more than ever before, women are playing a central role in the American economy. Women now make up nearly 50% of our workforce, are a growing number of breadwinners in their families, and are the majority of students in our colleges and graduate schools. American women own 30% of small businesses, which generate $1.2 trillion a year in sales. Since 1962, women’s participation in the labor market has risen by 20 percentage points while the United States’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has more than quadrupled. And according to a report by McKinsey, if the United States raised female labor participation rates to the average participation rate of the top 10 states, our economy would add 5.1 million women workers, the equivalent of a 3-4% increase in GDP. The statistics are very clear: The success of American women is critical for the success of American families and the American economy. And in order for our nation to keep moving forward, women must be able to help provide for their families and contribute fully to our economy.

Response: The Girls to Women LEAD (Learn, Educate, Achieve & Develop) Initiative is committed to narrowing the gender gap and empowering girls and women by providing the tools, resources, partnerships and support girls and women need to gain the voice, ability, and problem-solving capacity to realize their full potential. Janus will establish collaborative partnerships with private and non-profit stakeholders that share our vision and are committed to gender equality. The AR Girls to Women L.E.A.D. Initiatives consist of four programs: the Girls to Women L.E.A.D. Mentorship Program, the Girls to Women STEM Program, the Girls to Women L.E.A.D. Change Academy, and the Girls to Women L.E.A.D. Economic Empowerment Program.

GET INVOLVED! Contact us at projects@janusjustice.org or call 800-624-1588, Ext. 101 if you are interested in becoming a project partner, donor, investor or if you would like more information.