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This is an information resource for Brownfields Multipurpose,
Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant applicants.
SOCIALLY DISTANT ENGAGEMENT IDEAS FOR
EPA BROWNFIELD GRANT APPLICANTS
When face-to-face meetings or in-person interactions can't happen, consider using virtual tools alongside non-digital
approaches.

Virtual Tools
Non-Digital Approaches
Online meeting platforms
Phone calls or conference calls
Social media
Flyers
QR codes
Newspaper Ads
Wehpage or email updates
Local TV and radio
Which Tools and Approaches Are Right for Your Community?
Think about your specific stakeholders and how you want to engage them. Understand how this
specific engagement opportunity fits into your larger project plan.
Consider Your Audience
¦ Mow do your stakeholders like to interact? What are their preferred methods
of communication?
Be sure to check out Groundwork USA's
News and Resources page titled Remote
¦	What types of engagement have worked well in the past?
¦	Where do your stakeholders spend time outside of their homes?
¦	Where in your community may other outreach methods be needed due to
limited access to technology?
Prepare Engagement Goais
¦	What type of feedback do you need from your stakeholders at this point in
your project?
¦	How much interaction do you plan to have with your audience?
-	If your goal is to provide basic information and you expect little feedback
from your audience, sending updates via email, flyers in the mail, or
sharing information via social media are great options.
-	If you want more interaction or a two-way discussion, hosting an online meeting may be the better
option.
¦	Mow will you use the stakeholder feedback to make project decisions?
Know Your Overall Project Resources and Limitations
¦	Mow can you maximize your community engagement budget throughout your project? Effective
community engagement isn't free! Prioritize community engagement in your project budget.
¦	What virtual and non-digital approaches do you or your partners already have access to?
¦	How will you keep your stakeholders up-to-date on progress?
¦	When and how wiil stakeholders have another opportunity to engage with this project?
These easy-to-understand resources
can help communities stay or become
engaged despite the current limitations
of meeting in person due to COVID-19.
Groundwork USA developed these
materials under an EPA grant to
support communities using equitable
development and environmental justice
approaches as part of a brownfield
project.
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Land and Emergency Management (5105T) | EPA-560-F-20-181 | August 2020 | www.epa.gov/brownfields/

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A Virtual Workshop
in Action
r
Virtual Tools Help You Exchange Information, Engage and
Interact With Audiences, and Coordinate Across Distances
Online Meeting Platforms
When choosing which meeting platform to use,
consider which features you need. Do a test run
beforehand to become familiar with the features.
Have a "Plan B" for technical difficulties.
¦	Capacity can range from 50 - 1,000 participants.
¦	Meeting recordings to share with stakeholders
who were unable to join the live meeting.
¦	Closed-captioning to reduce participation barriers.
¦	Chat is especially useful for question and answer
sessions and for troubleshooting technical problems. If you have a platform without
a chat feature, perhaps a free third-party app or text message option will allow
participants to interact via their cell phone.
¦	Breakout rooms to facilitate smaller group discussions.
¦	Screen and content sharing allows you to share your presentation or collaborate in
real time.
¦	Whiteboards for drawing and notes, often a good way to receive reactions and other
feedback.
¦	Call-in option so stakeholders without internet access can still participate, and you
have a backup option if technical difficulties arise.
Social Media
You can interact with your stakeholders via social media. Social media is a useful
way to share videos or post updates and ask stakeholders for their general feedback
and ideas. Your platform may allow you to:
¦	Livestream so followers can participate in real time.
¦	Record and store recording for future playback.
¦	Share training or informational videos, or even conduct virtual site tours.
¦	Post updates, ask questions and receive answers.
QR Codes
Scanning a QR code leads a cell phone user directly to a website or social media
page, removing the hassle of remembering a web address. You can print QR Codes
on flyers and post in your community.
Website and Email Updates
Starting a project website, keeping it up-to-date and sending regular email updates
to stakeholders are valuable ways to create a trusted, go-to source for information
about your project.
Non-Digital Approaches Help You Get the Word Out and Remind
Stakeholders About Your Project
Consider these ideas:
¦	Phone calls and conference calls to introduce a project or talk through project ideas.
¦	Flyers can be mailed or posted around town (e.g., in grocery stores, parks, walking
areas, on pizza boxes and other take-out).
¦	Transcripts or printed copies of a presentation can be mailed to participants who
cannot attend a meeting online.
¦	Pop-up displays or temporary installations designed by local artists or students can
get people to think differently about how the site can be reused.
¦	Local newspaper can include project press releases, updates and advertise
upcoming events.
¦	Local TV or radio stations can advertise events and broadcast live or recorded events.
Virtual tools are good
for reaching large
audiences, presenting
information remotely,
collecting feedback,
conducting community
interviews remotely,
and collaborating.

Lehigh Valley Economic
Development Corporation
(LVEDC) was on a tight deadline
for finalizing their reuse plan
for the former Allentown State
Hospital in Eastern Pennsyl-
vania. Their EPA Brownfields
Assessment Grant was set to
expire soon. Typically, LVEDC
would hold an in-person design
workshop with key stakeholder
groups to develop potential
reuse options. However,
COVID-19 forced them to come
up with a new approach.
With the help of their contractor,
LVEDC's in-person workshop
was quickly converted into a
virtual design workshop with
breakout rooms. LVEDC found
the virtual workshop to be an
innovative and effective way to
keep the project moving despite
the difficulties raised by social
distance requirements.
Nearly 50 people attended the
virtual workshop, including the
area's state senator and state
representative. The workshop
consisted of two four-hour
sessions, held over two days.
The workshop began with a
presentation of existing site
conditions followed by three
interactive breakout sessions.
Each breakout group worked on
site design elements. Attendees
then reconvened to share the
three redevelopment scenarios
and provide feedback on each
option.

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