Success StoryBuilding an Active Community
Building an Active Community
Author: Christy Stearns
Planning Unit: Clinton County CES
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Plan of Work: Healthy from the Ground Up
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Participation in the UK Cooperative Extension Programs to Reduce Obesity in High Obesity Areas (CDC-1416) prompted our community to take a closer look at how the built environment is a contributing factor to our community’s greater than state and national averages in obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Health Coalition members and community leaders noted that parks and playgrounds were outdated and in need of renovations and updates to make them more appealing to individuals and families. Safety was a barrier to participating in physical activity due to the lack of sidewalks, trails, and parks in the community. Over the past four years, the Clinton County Cooperative Extension Service has worked to address some of the identified infrastructure concerns and enhance awareness of the need for increased physical activity through educational programming. Funding from the CDC-1416 allowed our community to install a 10 station fit trail at the local park as well as outdoor water fountain, safety fencing, early childhood playground equipment, and enhancements to the baseball and softball fields. A connector path as developed to support the joint use agreement between the middle school and park. Disc golf, gaga ball pits, and climbing caves were installed throughout the school district. Furthermore, an outdoor playground was developed for children to provide additional youth physical activity options at the Twin Lakes Family Wellness Center while parents were working out and attending exercise programs. Overall, over $100,000 in federal and state funding has been secured to implement changes to improve physical activity and community health.
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