Highlands: Together We Decide

07/02/2026

Free training program coming to Highland Falls. Sign up soon because space is limited and join the work to make our community more resilient.

07/01/2026

The 1-year listening campaign portion of Highlands: Together We Decide has come to the end. The good news is that there is a Phase 2 grant opportunity now focused on capacity building to create action plans around the community-developed proposals that were voted on this spring.

Phase 2 offers support for planning, professional services, technical assistance, community events, and/or administrative staffing. This is not a reimbursement grant. Half of the funds will be awarded up front, and the remaining half will be awarded midway through the project, subject to good standing. Grant amounts available up to $25,000, and funds are limited; see the Request for Proposals for details at https://www.theunderstory.org/fundingfutures.

Funding Futures Funding Futures: GameplanIntroductionThe 1-year listening campaign portion of Funding Futures: We Decide is drawing to a close at the end of June 2026. The Understory invites groups from the six communities to submit letters of interest (LOI) for Funding Futures: Gameplan. This Phase...

06/28/2026

Sharing a few photos from our June 20 celebration and hike.

06/23/2026

Congratulations to Tabatha Aponte, who submitted the winning photograph in our Photo Contest. Fittingly titled, "I love Highland Falls." Congratulations Tabatha and thank you to all who participated.

06/23/2026

If you want to work on any of the top three proposals please sign up at https://bit.ly/3SGQHZL. The top 3 priorities selected by the community are:
#1 Outdoors and Adventure, spotlighting the natural beauty, outdoor spaces, and historic character of the Highlands through walking tours, recreation maps, seasonal outings, youth engagement, and community-wide “Highlands Adventure Day”.
#2 Transportation and Mobility focused on improving transportation and mobility by exploring practical ways to better connect residents to key destinations, services, and regional transit options.
#3 Community Resilience supporting a town and village-wide resilience effort focused on flood preparedness, risk reduction, emergency readiness, and long-term community resilience planning.

Thank you

Thank you for participating in Highlands Together We Decide! The community has voted, and now it's time to turn ideas into action. Please fill out the form below to indicate which winning project(s) you'd like to support and how you'd like to be involved. Together, we're building a stronger, Highlan...

06/17/2026

SCHEDULE UPDATE. The Juneteenth celebration will be starting at 11 am on Saturday, so to accommodate that important event, we'll start ours a little later - i.e., sometime between 12:30-1 depending on when the Juneteenth festivities at Memorial Park end. We will be set up and ready to greet our friends and neighbors starting at noon so come and mingle before we get down to work.

Tentative schedule:
Noon - 1 pm. Socializing, snacks
1 pm. Project Review and Update
1 - 2 Volunteer Rountable discussions
2 pm Continue socializing/depart for hike

06/15/2026

🎉 Highlands: Together We Build Celebration! 🏗️✨
Ready to see the results of our community’s hard work? Join us as we announce the top 3 projects selected by YOU to strengthen the Town of Highlands!
🗓️ When: Saturday, June 20 | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍 Where: Lawn of Church of the Holy Innocents, Main St., Highland Falls
What’s happening:
✅ Project Reveal: Dive into the winning priorities: Outdoors & Adventure, Transportation & Mobility, and Community Resilience.
🤝 Get Involved: Join a project committee or launch one of the other five community proposals!
🍔 Family Fun: Food, music, and activities for all ages.
📸 Photo Contest: See the winning shots that capture our town’s spirit.
🥾 Community Hike: Stick around for a 0.7-mile preview hike of the Highland Falls Preserve at 3:00 PM (register by calling Olga Anderson at 917-509-1200).
Let’s celebrate how far we've come and start building our future together. See you there!

06/11/2026

For months, hundreds of residents of the Town of Highlands expressed their hopes and visions for a livable community thru Highlands Together We Decide community conversations. Now we have the chance to make those hopes reality. We are moving from "Deciding" to "Building" starting on June 20 as we gather to take the next steps. To help this along, Partners for Climate Action has announced a new round of grants!!! There is up to $25,000 available for capacity building and planning on any of the eight proposals that were part of the ballot you voted on. We'll talk about that on June 20 so please join us.