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The Foundations for Leaders Organizing for Water and Sustainability (FLOWS) Program mission is to create spaces to elevate, celebrate and bring attention to the leadership of underrepresented and underinvested voices in the sustainability world. FLOWS works closely with BIPOC, Immigrant, Low-income, LBGTQ+ and Disabled communities and functions as a platform for environmental and social justice leadership education, cultural celebration and skill-based capacity building. FLOWS aims to uplift the community voices and provide opportunities for those we serve to bridge and connect people and resources while offering perspectives in equity and climate justice.

FLOWS leaders are CU Boulder staff, students and community members working together. FLOWS aims to raise awareness among community members about their environmental conservation practices and concepts like cultural values, decolonization, equity and economic justice. The FLOWS team training involves intercultural discussions about diverse sustainable traditions and climate justice. FLOWS leaders discuss a wide range of sustainable lifestyle behaviors, emphasizing the nexus between water, energy use and social justice. FLOWS leaders receive trainings and stipends for their work.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, FLOWS created a Virtual Community Learning Series to highlight leaders from our communities who are experts in sustainability dialogues and initiatives. FLOWS intentionally disrupts existing power dynamics and focuses on the resilience, adaptability and capacity to thrive in these communities. FLOWS values language access and has provided this series as a Spanish-first space with professional simultaneous interpretation. To ensure that offered programs and services are inclusive and accessible, FLOWS is prioritizing focus groups with community members.

FLOWS partners with the City of Boulder’s Climate Initiatives Department and Boulder Housing Partners —the Housing Authority in the City of Boulder.