Tales from the State Strolling Faculties
… And Different Partnerships with AARP Livable Communities
By Ian Thomas
Working Collectively to Create Nice Locations for Folks of All Ages
Wish to make a distinction in your neighborhood? America Walks and AARP Livable Communities have opened up purposes for people to use to our 2023 State Strolling Faculties (see beneath), which prepare advocates keen to arrange in communities to develop entry to walkable, vibrant, secure, and accessible locations.
What sort of work are we speaking about? Take a look at Tales from the State Strolling School: An Thought E book for Taking Motion to Create Extra Walkable Communities, produced by America Walks with assist from AARP Livable Communities. This brand-new publication highlights the work of our 2021 and 2022 State Strolling School graduates.
Together with articles on first steps for walkable neighborhood advocates and getting began with stroll audits, Tales from the State Strolling School options the next Fellows and their initiatives:
- Ariel Hamburger (2021 Fellow working in San Diego, California)
- Juanita Edwards, Sybil Boutilier, and Vicki Nichols (2021 Fellows: Marin Metropolis and Sausalito, California)
- Keith Larson (2022 Fellow: Peachtree Metropolis, Georgia)
- Natalie Gille (2022 Fellow: Bemidji, Minnesota)
Accepting Purposes for the 2023 Strolling Faculties
Should you’re impressed by these tales and want to unleash your individual ardour for strolling and bettering your neighborhood, now’s the proper time to take that first step. Beginning right this moment and persevering with till the tip of February, America Walks is accepting purposes for a number of Strolling School packages.
Should you dwell in any of the next states, click on on the related hyperlink for extra details about that State Strolling School program – supplied in partnership with AARP Livable Communities – and the web utility kind:
And, in the event you dwell elsewhere within the U.S. or Canada, please click on on this hyperlink:
There are a restricted variety of Fellowships obtainable for every of those packages, so the choice course of is aggressive. You’re welcome to use each to a State Strolling School (in the event you dwell there) and to the nationwide program – if chosen, you’ll solely obtain a Fellowship to certainly one of them.
A Webinar about Stroll Audits
In one other partnership between America Walks and AARP Livable Communities, we’re presenting a joint webinar that can embody an introduction to the AARP Stroll Audit Instrument Equipment, a panel dialogue amongst Strolling School Fellows who’ve used the Instrument Equipment to realize “Fast Wins,” and details about the 2023 AARP Neighborhood Problem grant program.
New in 2023, AARP Neighborhood Problem Capability-Constructing Microgrants can be found to implement a stroll audit utilizing the AARP Stroll Audit Instrument Equipment and with assist from America Walks.
For extra particulars and to register for the Tuesday, February 14th (11am Pacific, 2pm Jap) webinar, click on on the next hyperlink:
Background on the Partnership
America Walks and AARP share a imaginative and prescient of nice locations for folks of all ages. Frequent themes embody secure streets, neighborhood parks, and buying, the liberty to dwell effectively with no need to personal a automobile, sturdy public transit service, and walkable neighborhood design.
Our partnership with State Strolling Faculties expands upon the impression of the nationwide Strolling School, which is funded by way of our grant from the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
In 2021, the AARP California, Georgia, and South Dakota State Places of work hosted State Strolling Faculties, and a complete of 33 Fellows from these three states developed community-focused Strolling Motion Plans and graduated from this system. One yr later, with the partnership increasing to incorporate Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Texas, one other 66 Fellows accomplished the curriculum and stepped into the troublesome work of fixing coverage and neighborhood design.
At America Walks, we’re pleased with our work with AARP, and look ahead to accomplishments of the 2023 courses!