The Purdue Extension Nutrition Education Program (NEP) is partnering with Health by Design to present a series of workshops this summer and fall designed to help seven Indiana communities become healthier—as well as more walkable, bikeable and accessible for people of all ages and abilities.
The City of Huntington is one of the recipients of the Active Living Workshop.
Community Wellness Coordinator, Susy Jennings, submitted the application on behalf of the city, and the workshops were selected through a competitive process.
The seven cities chosen to host workshops through September 2016 are:
· City of Bedford
· City of Evansville
· City of Huntingburg
· City of Huntington
· City of Linton
· City of Plymouth
· City of Rochester
According to Purdue Extension NEP Director Melissa Maulding, these daylong Active Living Workshops will bring together government staff, civic leaders and advocates to network, learn about the benefits of active-living communities and discuss strategies for success.
“We’re very excited to engage with Indiana communities in a new way,” said Maulding. “Since 1994, our NEP Assistants have provided nutrition education lessons to youth and adults through schools and a variety of community groups, helping them eat better and move more.
“Now as our Community Wellness Coordinators work with Health by Design to bring these Active Living Workshops to Indiana communities, we’re looking forward to making an even bigger impact in local health.”
Each workshop will be tailored for the individual community and will build upon existing assets and projects already underway. Presenters will lead participants through various group exercises to identify active-living priorities. Other activities may include a walk audit to assess the safety and comfort of sidewalks and streets, mapping exercises designed to identify important destinations and access to them, and/or a streetscape visualization to show potential improvements to a key intersection or corridor.
“This workshop will demonstrate that healthy people and vibrant communities go hand-in-hand. Creating neighborhoods and public spaces that allow and encourage active living has vast benefits for everyone,” said Kim Irwin, executive director of Health by Design, a statewide coalition that works to create built environments that foster healthy living.
“If someone can easily walk to the grocery store or bike to work, for example, they’re more likely to do so, which is good for him or her as an individual, but also for the environment and the entire community,” Irwin added.
For more information on the Active Living Workshop in City of Huntington or to be involved in the planning, contact Susy Jennings, Community Wellness Coordinator, at
260-358-4826.
About the Purdue Extension Nutrition Education Program
The Purdue Extension Nutrition Education Program (NEP) works to improve the nutrition and health of audiences with limited resources in communities statewide by focusing on five areas: diet quality, physical activity, food security, food safety and food resource management. To learn more, visit the NEP website at http://bit.ly/1IMZtGU.
About Health by Design
Health by Design is a coalition of partners working to ensure that communities throughout Indiana have neighborhoods, public spaces and transportation infrastructure that promote physical activity and healthy living. To learn more, visit www.healthbydesignonline.org or call 317-352-3844.
