Over 40 people from around the state involved in the fields of transportation planning, public health, economic development, community planning, and trails and open space came together to help build connections across these sectors with the purpose of increasing coordination of walkability and community mobility efforts. Representatives from various state agencies, Councils of Governments, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, non-profits, and consultants were in attendance.
National public health, planning, and transportation experts, Mark Fenton and his team presented how best to design walkable communities for people of all ages and abilities and how community design can influence health, safety, and local development. An Olympic race-walker, MIT-trained engineer, former host of PBS’ America’s Walking, and author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness, Mark has led training and planning processes for pedestrian-, bicycle-, and transit-friendly designs in communities across the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Mark Fenton explains to participants how to engage the community in walkability solutions.
Kicking off the workshop, participants were asked to recall their earliest, positive recollection of being physically active. Their answers emphasized the change in play over the years with more youth moving away from being “free-range kids” who enjoyed outdoor play and exploration without adult supervision, walked or biked to school or interacted with friends, and played games with no formal uniforms or referees. This shift has influenced concerning trends in childhood obesity. Less than 5% of all children in the 1960s were considered overweight or obese, while today 23% of South Carolina’s children ages 6-17 fall into that category (Source: Trust for America’s Health).
However, improving walkability in communities is not just about physical activity. It affects citizens’ health and quality of life, the environment, social justice priorities, and community economic advancement. Can the design of our communities actually influence population health and community outcomes? Mark and his team highlighted that policy change leads to more active transportation infrastructure, which directly impacts a community’s health improvements.
Physical activity support occurs on three scales:
Providing a variety of destinations within close proximity;
Linking a network of pedestrian, bike, and transit facilities; and
Ensuring active transportation options are safe, functional, and accessible for all.
Equipped with this information, participants broke out into small groups by industry sector to discuss their roles in advancing active transportation, specifically what they should accomplish in the short-term and what is needed in order for them to be successful. One catch: the answer couldn’t be “more money!”
Workshop participants on a walk audit in downtown Columbia.
A highlight of the day was a 1.5-mile walk audit around downtown Columbia. Mark encouraged participants to take this exercise back to their own communities as an effective and inclusive community engagement tool that can reach all ages, races, income levels, and abilities. Walk audits integrate going to everyday community destinations where people live and work while paying particular attention to land use, the network of facilities, site design, and safety.
The workshop concluded with a call to action and commitment. Over 90% of participants affirmed they are very or extremely willing to contribute to a statewide collaborative to advance equitable active transportation by providing or sharing information and helping to make connections. A central theme was the need for more detailed and sharing of data as the workshop reinforced that the key to success in this work is more interdisciplinary participation. The group left energized and ready to be a part of this important priority in our state.
Stay tuned for more as Wholespire continues to play an integral role in inspiring wellness in all communities!
When most people think about the challenges and solutions associated with hunger and lack of nutritious food, their first thought is often community gardening or donating canned goods. Many of us don’t think about sources high in protein like meat? An organization of avid deer hunters in Dorchester County is helping to fill the need for meat through a network of deer processors and hunters.
Pete and Lori Singletary founded Hunters Helping Hands in 2022 after retiring. Knowing they wanted to give back to their community, they found inspiration from many of Pete’s hunting excursions in the Midwest where there are state-funded programs that allow hunters to donate their harvest. Their mission is to provide high-quality, nutritious food to families and individuals in need by focusing on sourcing and distributing venison, and Wholespire is supporting their work with a mini-grant.
Often referred to as deer meat, venison is a valuable source of protein and rich in nutrients, but it’s often scarce in the diets of food-insecure families. Getting your hands on venison can be challenging, unless you know hunters. Thanks to Hunters Helping Hands, food-insecure families in the Lowcountry have a way to get one of the most valued sources of protein in their diets.
The organization’s process involves a network of partners, mainly meat processors to prepare the venison and spread the word to hunters about donating their harvest, and food banks, food ministries, and other agencies and nonprofits to distribute the venison to families in need. It’s a process that started out slowly but has grown quickly over two years.
“The first year we picked up 32 deer. So far this year, we’ve picked up about 280 deer. We give out 500-600 pounds of venison per week,” said Pete. “Right now, we’re continuing to grow and get help from people like you, and we certainly appreciate it. This is God opening the doors, and we’re going with it.”
Those are significant numbers indicating a large demand for donated meat in the Lowcountry. According to their HEAL Mini-Grant application, each pound of venison provides approximately five meals, making a significant impact on the families they serve. They’re currently working with 17 food banks, and the list of meat processors is growing, which means the potential of getting even more venison donations during deer season is very real.
“Our goal for 2024 is to process 15,000 pounds of venison, which will generate up to 75,000 meals. It’s an ambitious target, but it underscores our commitment to scaling our operations and reaching more families in need,” said Pete.
Their commitment is solid. One hundred percent of all donations and grants received covers the meat processing fees. All administrative costs of doing business come out of their pockets, as well as their Board of Directors’ pockets. They rely on volunteers to help pick up and deliver donations, take on staff roles, and pitch in when help is needed. All of their children, grandchildren, and their own siblings are heavily involved in the organization.
“A true blessing is giving and not receiving. That’s the way we look at it,” said Pete. “This has been an eye-opening experience. We’re just growing and growing. More and more meat processors are hearing about us and they want to join our efforts, so I need to make sure we have the funding to pay the processing fees and buy equipment to store the venison.”
Pete explained their very simple operating system. During deer hunting season (Aug 15-Jan 1), licensed hunters are limited to harvesting ten deer. Pete says that one or two deer can fill up a freezer. So, what is a hunter to do if they want to continue to hunt? Many hunters offer venison to family, friends or neighbors. Through the Hunters Helping Hands network of meat processors, hunters can drop off the deer and choose to pay a small dressing fee. Pete and Lori are notified when the venison is ready for pick-up and volunteers distribute the meat to partnering food banks.
“If you talk to a hunter who donates their deer, they’ll tell you this: it’s a win-win situation for a deer hunter. They can continue to hunt and feel good about helping people in need,” said Pete.
When deer season ends, the organization continues to receive venison from local farmers who experience severe or persistent crop damage because of deer. As Pete explained, hunters and their representatives can hunt deer during the off season with a special permit from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. This rule helps sustain the venison donations throughout the year.
“Before we came along, those deer would be destroyed. We picked up 170 deer before the season came in this year that otherwise would have been left in the field and destroyed,” said Pete. “And that’s what a processor in Orangeburg is wanting to do next year. Instead of destroying them, he wants to give them to us.”
Besides fruits and vegetables, protein plays an important role in the diets of everyone. While venison has been an option for generations of families, it is now a “new” healthy protein option for many Lowcountry families in need, thanks to the huge hearts of hunters.
The Louisiana 4-H Teens Leading Change team with Jamaius White (middle).
The Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter and Louisiana 4-H are collaborating with Wholespire to implement The Health Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project in two parishes over the next four years. LSU AgCenter included funding for The HYPE Project® in their application for a USDA Children, Youth, and Families at Risk grant to engage youth leaders in meaningful community change while developing leadership skills.
“This five-year grant focuses on Jefferson and Orleans parishes, but we hope to expand to other parishes down the road,” said Jessica Stroop, research associate at the LSU AgCenter. “The specific projects will be up to the youth but will broadly focus on systemic issues related to nutrition or physical activity. We also hope to see youth leaders develop skills in presentations, assessments, collaboration, and organization.”
Jamaius White, program manager of The HYPE Project, recently trained the Louisiana 4-H agents on the curriculum in New Orleans, walking them through various activities and discussions that youth will participate in. The LSU AgCenter chose both Advisor Training and Train the Trainer packages based on their approach to implementing The HYPE Project. Some agents will use the traditional model of implementing the HYPE curriculum themselves (Advisor Training), while other agents will use the Train the Trainer model to train others on how to implement the curriculum.
“We’re excited to be providing technical assistance to the Louisiana 4-H agents and helping them understand the curriculum, the operational side of managing a HYPE team, as well as other technical assistance needs, they may have,” said Jamaius White, The HYPE Project® program manager. “I think LSU AgCenter has a strong plan for implementing HYPE in these schools, and I don’t see them needing much assistance.”
Louisiana 4-H is the largest youth development program with clubs and groups in all 64 parishes, territorial divisions similar to counties. Jefferson and Orleans parishes, two urban areas with diverse populations and cultures, were chosen not only to develop youth leadership skills but to also develop 4-H urban programming. 4-H is known for livestock showing competitions and other agriculture-related activities in rural areas, but Louisiana 4-H leaders want to reach youth in urban parishes too. One way they’re doing that is through their Teens Leading Change program, also know as The HYPE Project.
White (not pictured) walked the 4-H agents through The HYPE Project curriculum.
In South Carolina, Wholespire has historically worked with youth-led organizations and groups based on funding sources and directives. LSU AgCenter is the first state-level organization to purchase The HYPE Project curriculum package and the first to implement the curriculum in schools. The key component to their approach is working with a lead teacher, who will be the advisor to the students.
“The school administration has been fantastic, and I’m lucky to have my lead teacher. She really is so passionate about these kids and the program and what we can do,” said Sabrina Hoffmeister, assistant extension agent 4-H Youth Development for Jefferson Parish.
The lead teacher will help run the Teens Leading Change program composed of ten high school seniors. This model is being used in both Orleans and Jefferson parishes, however, this article provides insight into the Jefferson Parish implementation. Information on the Orleans Parish implementation is not available at this time, however, keep in mind that implementing one model in two high schools may not run the same way based on unexpected hurdles and changing situations.
At Riverdale High School in Jefferson Parish, an economically disadvantaged public school (based on 86% of the student population qualifying for free or reduced school meals), Lead Teacher Lauren Broadway is an English instructor in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, an academic program that addresses intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students. She has an established relationship with the IB students, who make up the Teens Leading Change program.
“We considered interviewing students to identify the right candidates, but we thought about the lead teacher. She knows these kids and sees them every day. She’s the one that has chosen the ten students based on their capstone project and their desire to make the community better,” said Hoffmeister.
4-H agents try out the Community Web of Support activity.
A core component of the IB Diploma Program is the completion of a Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) project, also referred to as a capstone project, that demonstrates the students’ knowledge and skills. According to the IB Diploma Program website, a CAS project can address any single strand of CAS, or combine two or all three strands of creativity, activity and service.
The advantages of implementing The HYPE Project at Riverdale High School are extraordinarily unique because of the IB Diploma Program, its alignment with the HYPE curriculum, and the knowledge and experience of the lead teacher. Perhaps one standout advantage is that the IB students already know about policy, systems and environments (PSE).
“My group of students have already taken a PSE class, which is super helpful. They already know those beginning steps of the curriculum, but we will do a little refresh,” said Hoffmeister. “Then, we’ll quickly move into the act phase of the HYPE curriculum and get the ball rolling in September.”
In addition to Hoffmeister being the point person for the Teens Leading Change program in Jefferson Parish, her team includes Nutrition Agent Shawn Verbeten and Assistant Extension Agent Courtney Budenich. The Jefferson Parish 4-H agents will manage their Teens Leading Change program and provide technical assistance, or guidance, to the lead teacher and interact with the students too.
The Riverdale High School IB Diploma Program seniors will begin their HYPE journey within days or weeks of this posting. Based on the information learned by Wholespire, LSU AgCenter and Louisiana 4-H have set them up for success with a well thought out plan, contingencies for roadblocks, and a timeline that could avoid Mardi Gras interruptions.
If you are interested in implementing The HYPE Project in your state, school, community or youth-led organization, visit our website and contact us.
Oakwood-Windsor Elementary School students have access water while enjoying recess.
Sometimes, even the best plans run into unexpected challenges, especially during the procurement process. When your mini-grant project doesn’t go as planned, it can be discouraging, but it’s important to remember that setbacks are a normal part of the process. Leaders at Oakwood-Windsor Elementary School in Aiken County found out firsthand how a project of installing an outdoor water fountain/water bottle refill station and soccer goals can have challenges.
Oakwood-Windsor, located just outside of Windsor, South Carolina, is a Title I school with a high poverty rate. Thirty percent of its student population represents the Hispanic community, and many families work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Even though Title I schools receive federal funding for programs and instruction, there are no funds available for improvements to the environment, such as purchasing and installing an outdoor water fountain/water bottle refill station or play equipment.
Due to its rural location, the playground is a busy place in the evenings and on weekends. Unfortunately, it did not have a lot to offer. During school hours, the principal observed her students using cones and other objects to mark imaginary soccer goal lines, and there was a lot of traffic entering and exiting the school building for a drink of water. She wanted to make recess more fun and water more accessible. She also had the community in mind. Her goal was to increase the use of the playground and encourage healthy living among all of the school’s stakeholders.
“When I first got here, there were things that I wanted to be able to provide for my kids, but I just didn’t have the funds to do so. I don’t have an active PTO, and even when we did have one, it wasn’t a big money-making enterprise, if you will, like in other schools. So, I needed to look for different opportunities that were out there,” said Principal Davina Truitt.
In 2021, Principal Truitt learned about the Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Mini-Grant funding opportunity and wasted no time submitting her application. She said, “I was very shocked and thankful in a wonderful way to learn that we received the grant. But then it went downhill because it took us so long to make it come to fruition.”
Hurdle 1: Grant proposal was partially funded
When Truitt received her award letter, she learned that she would not be receiving the entire budget request of nearly $5,000. Facing limited funds, Principal Truitt did what she knew best. She talked about it. The self-proclaimed Chatty Cathy was honest during casual conversations with community partners who were interested in updates about what was happening at Oakwood-Windsor. Because she cares deeply about her students, she engages with community partners by talking about them, the projects or initiatives that are happening, and the needs and wishes of her school.
“I just shared with a member of the Rotary Club of Aiken Sunrise the excitement that we received this grant, but we don’t have quite the funds. But it’s okay because we’re going to figure it out,” said Truitt, “and they said, ‘You know what? I’m noting this. Let me go back to my board, and we’re going to be in touch.’ And next thing I know, they did a fundraiser because they wanted us to be able to afford everything we needed for this project.”
The Rotary Club of Aiken Sunrise was able to raise more funds than anyone had expected. They matched the amount received from the HEAL Mini-Grant, plus more. According to Truitt, “We were able to get soccer balls and an even nicer set of soccer goals than the ones I initially picked out.”
As to why the grant was partially funded, Wholespire Executive Director Meg Stanley said, “We were trying to fund as many qualifying and good applications as we could. Using the knowledge we had of cost estimates and resources, we decided to partially fund this project. If we could go back and change that, we would. We do not take that approach today because we now know that each school or entity has their own procedures and processes for selecting vendors or equipment. Partial funding can decrease the impact of community projects. However, our funder does have the authority to not fund a specific line item in a proposed budget.”
Hurdle 2: The procurement process has its challenges
The goal of a procurement process is to ensure you get the best value for your budget while ensuring that the quality, timing, and other factors meet an organization’s requirements. When you’re not familiar with your organization’s process, seek advice and guidance from colleagues in the procurement department or, in Oakwood-Windsor’s case, colleagues in the district office.
The Aiken County School District requires at least three quotes from external contractors. You would think that finding a qualified plumber is simple, but that’s not always true. The first quote was easily obtained through the district office’s preferred plumber, but the installation quote was extremely high. Many businesses Truitt reached out to didn’t respond to her request for a quote or the contractor could not fit an onsite visit into their schedule. Truitt turned to community partners for recommendations, but to no avail; she could not get responses.
The key to this hurdle is keeping everyone in the loop. Truitt continued to keep Wholespire and the school district office updated on her progress and the challenges she was facing, which kept Oakwood- Windsor in good standing with Wholespire in spite of the unexpected delays. She eventually found a plumber who provided a quote that fit her budget, but she still needed one more quote. Fortunately, her school district contact understood the challenge, the time invested in getting the second quote, and the fact that she was well beyond the nine-month timeframe of the mini-grant. In the end, the school district contact agreed that she could complete the procurement process with only two quotes.
Hurdle 3: The contractor was difficult to reach
Truitt found her plumber, but there was a small glitch that turned into a big, time-consuming hurdle. After ordering the water fountain/water bottle refill station recommended by the plumber, there was a communication failure. Getting in touch with the contracted plumber was difficult. It took months to reach him.
“It honestly became a bit of a nightmare,” said Truitt. “We tried contacting him by phone but couldn’t leave a voicemail. We would send emails back and forth. We finally got in touch with him, and he partially installed the water bottle refill station.”
Electricity became a factor that the plumber could not address. So, she reached back out to the school district office for guidance, and they sent their electricians to finish the job. Now, it was time to address the soccer goals.
“We worked again with a member of our school district office staff. He’s very knowledgeable about all things playgrounds, and he guided us on purchasing good-quality soccer goals,” said Truitt. “He even helped us put them together and installed the goals.”
It was a long, drawn-out process, but Truitt remained committed to the project, the excitement of her students, and the benefit of the community.
The successes outweigh the challenges
Looking back, the Oakwood-Windsor Elementary School HEAL Mini-Grant project was successful in many ways. First and foremost, the students don’t have barriers to accessing water while outside, giving them more time for outdoor physical activity. They no longer have to imagine soccer goal lines and can kick the balls as hard as they want.
Students have more fun at recess, thanks to the new soccer balls and goals.
“Our students have already commented on how much more they enjoy going on the playground now that they can play soccer. And, now that our hydration station has been installed and is functional, our students (and visitors to the playground) won’t miss physical activity time by having to go inside or leave the playground altogether to get some water. We have already seen more students being physically active on the playground in the short amount of time they’ve had with the project components.”
Other successes of the project include the school district office being flexible with the procurement process, community partners leveraging funds through a fundraiser, being able to purchase better quality soccer goals and soccer balls, and school district employees completing the water fountain/water bottle filling station and volunteering their time and knowledge on soccer goals and installation.
Asked if she has any advice to other grant recipients, Principal Truitt said, “My words of advice would be to just keep the focus on the purpose of the project and not get discouraged if there are challenges or roadblocks. For us, it was the commitment to providing our Wise Owls with a healthy space to do something they enjoy, playing soccer! Keep reaching out to others who can help your project come to fruition and be persistent.”
Perhaps one last success was the flexibility and understanding of Wholespire. Even though the HEAL mini-grant requires a nine-month implementation time frame, challenges and roadblocks do arise that prevent the project from being completed on time.
“Oakwood-Windsor is not the first mini-grant recipient to face uncontrollable roadblocks that delay project completion. We greatly appreciate Ms. Truitt’s continuous communication with us during the project implementation process. Her communication allowed us to be more understanding and provide explanations to our funder,” said Stanley.
Whether it’s because of challenges you didn’t see coming or changes in the situation, the Oakwood-Windsor hurdles offered valuable lessons. The key is to stay flexible, keep lines of communication open with the funder, and use what you’ve learned to improve future efforts.
The notion of creating more walkable communities may seem like a daunting task, particularly for rural towns that struggle to find the time and resources to devote to such projects. However, WAI helped remind its participants that small efforts can lead to bigger changes. Community walkability projects, even on a minor scale, can impact not only citizens’ health and safety but local economic opportunities as well.
But where do you even begin? To start with, community engagement is critical. Assessing community readiness and educating citizens before any changes are made are important first steps.
“Community buy-in is important. Without their understanding, all of this is for naught. We’re using varying approaches to educate since people care about different things – beautification, pedestrian and public safety, jobs and small business, less traffic, increased real estate values, and social connection,” said Dara Brown, Chair of the Active & Accessible Community Transit Coalition and a member of the Cayce-West Columbia WAI team.
While there is a long-term goal of creating an inclusive, inter-municipal walk + bike loop in the Cayce – West Columbia arts district to promote tourism and connect lower-income areas to everyday destinations, conducting pop-up demonstrations and walk audits for this project helped identify solutions for immediate needs. Bike racks for both cities were installed, and a four-way stop sign was added in an underserved community to slow vehicular traffic. Other neighborhoods noticed and began asking for stop signs near parks and where school buses pick up children.
The more prepared and involved the community is, the easier it becomes to approach local councils and government officials with needed projects. “Training is about conversations. Engaging community leaders and informing them on how walkability can improve other issues such as safety and crime is critical,” said Dara.
The idea that place affects health – how a community’s built environment contributes to eating healthy and being physically active in a safe manner – was another resounding theme at WAI. With cars as the primary mode of transportation, sidewalks are not as commonplace in rural communities since fewer people and destinations tend to be more spread apart. The sidewalks that do exist are less likely to receive maintenance.
Broken sidewalks like this one in Lane, South Carolina, make mobility unsafe for people with disabilities, older adults and others.
The Town of Lane is part of Williamsburg County, another local team of public health, planning, and transportation representatives that participated in WAI. Delores Cantey, a resident of Lane, has an adult paraplegic son and has fought for safer road infrastructure for decades. With no real sidewalk network, she says his only option to get around town in his wheelchair includes the side of a highway.
“He’s entitled to have a good quality of life outside of his home. I think Council and local government are starting to see how everyone wants sidewalks as a safe option for travel,” she said.
Since WAI, the Town of Lane identified a need for traffic-reducing devices in areas of high use by people with disabilities, seniors, and youth. A radar speed sign and flasher kits were installed to warn drivers that they are entering a pedestrian crossing and to reduce speed.
“WAI was the catalyst for helping develop a connection to why we should consider these types of walkability projects. It served as an eye-opener of what could be done in a small town and rural community. It’s a real issue, and now we can do something about it,” said Regina Smith-Dimery, Community Engagement Manager for the South Carolina Department of Public Health and a member of the Williamsburg County WAI team.
So, what are some practical steps to implement walkability projects in your area?
Create an advisory committee made up of a diverse group of citizens to help increase public awareness and education about walkability and to identify projects that address specific community needs. Invite local leadership to participate.
Conduct assessments, which are free or low-cost, to help determine how pedestrian and bike-friendly a community is as well as what citizens view as priorities. These can include walk audits, “windshield tours,” and surveys. Try to plan these activities alongside existing community events where there will already be a crowd.
Put together a list of potential projects and then prioritize them based on importance, how capable the community is to implement and timely complete the project, and the feasibility of having the funding.
Phasing larger projects helps make tasks more manageable. Rather than a 10-mile sidewalk, prioritize key intersections to start with.
Continue momentum in the community by holding pop-ups and town hall meetings and creating appealing message development. Maintain intentional communication of what the goals are and how partners can fit in to increase participation.
Walkability and active transportation planning is a public health focus area that has the potential to have a positive community and statewide impact on our health, environment, and economy. Active community environments, where people of all ages and abilities have opportunities to be physically active for both recreation and transportation, must be thoughtfully designed with a holistic approach. The Walkability Action Institute proved even small steps towards this overarching goal can make a notable difference.
Wholespire remains committed to providing technical assistance and training to promote walkable, active and connected communities.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 43 percent of children under the age of 18 in Barnwell County live below the poverty level. Because of their parents’ economic status, those children face more health disparities and inequities than others. For the majority of those children, it means living in affordable housing, also known as public housing.
Affordable housing communities can be found in almost every area of South Carolina, and Barnwell County is no exception. You’ve seen them around—complexes of multi-unit apartments with some green spaces but no visible outdoor recreational structures and no park within a safe walking distance. The HYPE team in Barnwell County saw the same thing. The lack of playgrounds in multiple affordable housing communities concerned them enough to do something about it.
Key partners were rounded up.
A HYPE team member helps with the obstacle course setup.
As soon as the HYPE team decided to focus on improving access to outdoor recreation in affordable housing communities, they turned to the South Carolina Regional Housing Authority No. 3 (SCRH3), the organization tasked with managing public housing and connecting residents to community resources. Getting buy-in from SCRH3 was integral to the success of the project.
“Our kids need something to do. You know, society complains a lot about this particular population, and I mean those residents who live in low-income housing, but they don’t provide any resources,” said Lisa Creech, resident opportunity and self-sufficiency service coordinator at SCRH3. “If you don’t want them to do something in particular, you have to provide another outlet, another resource for them. And I think that’s where we were lacking.”
Prior to joining SCRH3, Creech worked at an agency that wanted to partner with local housing and provide some recreation resources to the kids. As the HYPE team entered the picture, the affordable housing communities received basketball courts. But according to Creech, the kids wanted more.
Creech said on partnering with the HYPE team, “Many of these properties don’t have playgrounds, and for the ones that do have the basketball courts now, that’s all the kids have. So, we were really hoping to give them an opportunity to just be kids.”
Barnwell youth leaders take action.
Children play with the parachute as one boy has fun with tug of war.
With funding from Wholespire, Barnwell County HEALing Partners (funding from Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas) and other leveraged sources, youth were able to follow The HYPE Project process of observing their community, collecting data, and choosing their project focus area. They chose to increase access to physical activity in six local affordable housing communities located in Barnwell, Williston and Blackville. The team relied on a needs assessment they conducted the previous year to determine what type of physical activity to provide through their project.
They already knew SCRH3 and Barnwell County HEALing Partners hosted a field day event, which was successful but needed a little work. So, they analyzed the needs assessment and community feedback from the event and decided to enhance the activities of the field day and take it to multiple affordable housing communities during spring break.
“I thought it was very important that the youth take the lead on this project, and they did so well. I’m so pleased that I did not even imagine they would take it on the way that they did. But I think it’s because we made them understand that this is your project, and I think that message took it to another level,” said Pamela McKnight, HPHC project coordinator at Axis 1 Center of Barnwell, the fiscal agent for Barnwell County HEALing Partners.
The HYPE team planned the improvements from start to finish, adding additional (and traditional) field day games, purchasing recreation equipment, increasing the frequency from once a year to twice a year, and creating a HYPE Tour that would take the event to multiple affordable housing communities in the county.
The obstacle course tested everyone’s agility with the use of pool noodles, cones and other affordable materials.
“We brought out all the games that we played as kids for Field Day. We had tug of war; jump rope, hula hoops; obstacle courses; the large parachute—all things field day. The kids came out in droves, and they had a great time. We provided healthy snacks, and they got to be kids,” said Creech.
Not only was the purpose to increase access to physical activity, but it was also to give those particular community members a sense of community and belonging.
“I think it actually gave the parents and the children the opportunity to do something together because, when you think about it, everybody’s lives are busy. You have parents working long hours, and then you may have an older sibling taking care of the younger kids while the parent is working,” said Susan Ingram, HYPE advisor and project coordinator at AXIS 1 Center of Barnwell. ”But this project allows the parents and the children to play together. It was a beautiful thing to see.
In addition to field day games, McKnight said the HYPE Tour also included arts and crafts, health and wellness information from local vendors, and healthy snacks. “We also use that opportunity to show parents how easy it is to have a nutritious snack, and the children loved it. We did fruit kebabs with yogurt, and the children absolutely loved it. Nine times out of ten, none of those children had fruit or yogurt.”
Leveraging the HYPE Project for a greater impact.
Tug of war was popular among everyone.
Since the HYPE Tour, Creech says that she has noticed a change. “Since the field day, I do see the kids out playing, but it would be really nice to have some permanent structures for them.”
When you leverage a policy, systems and environmental change project for a greater impact, it means you influence additional change. You brought more attention to the needs of the community, and another entity or partner is investing in the community’s future. The HYPE team in Barnwell County did just that. Their actions and concerns about the lack of outdoor recreational structures in affordable housing communities put a brighter light on the situation.
According to McKnight, there have been conversations about adding some permanent structures to some of the low-income properties. Things could change for the children, and the HYPE team would play a role. Barnwell County HEALing Partners is considering building naturalized play areas on the properties because, through this project, they realized that not all of the affordable housing communities have areas for children to play. The health coalition continues to research naturalized play areas.
“Another project we were looking at in concert with the Housing Authority is sidewalk play,” says McKnight. “We want to make it permanent. So, permanent sidewalk directives like do jumping jacks or do hopscotch on the sidewalks to give children something that they could do.”
The HYPE team has inspired Barnwell County HEALing Partners to do more to improve access to physical activity throughout the county. There are tons of ideas, big and small, and several larger projects in the making. It’s safe to say that the movers and shakers of all ages in Barnwell County are doing some pretty big things that other communities can learn from, and a lot of it involves youth engagement.
The HYPE Team on the steps of City Hall after they advocated to City Council for park improvement
A group of young changemakers at the Dillon County Girls and Boys Youth Center in the City of Dillon have sparked significant improvements in a local park and influenced elected officials to address other outdoor community amenities. Through the Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project, youth learned how to assess their community, advocate for change and make Harmon Field a destination for everyone.
In 1924, Harmon Field was given to the City of Dillon and “dedicated forever to the plays of children, the development of youth, and the recreation of all.” The dedication plaque speaks volumes about the intentions of the HYPE team’s civic action project – reinvigorate Harmon Field for everyone.
“We had been taking the kids to a park, not far from us, and the park had to have had the same equipment as I had when I was a child,” says Annie Smith, Dillon County Girls and Boys Youth Center and HYPE Advisor. “The only people that would use the park were our kids (Youth Center) and maybe a few more kids you might see, but everything was dilapidated. It was just terrible.”
As a HYPE advisor, Smith’s responsibility is to lead the youth through the HYPE curriculum and help them learn the process of choosing and implementing a civic action project focused on healthy eating or active living. Once the HYPE team understood what they were doing, they quickly knew they wanted to make Harmon Field a more comfortable and safer place to spend time outdoors.
They used their HYPE grant funds to paint benches, but they had their site set on something bigger, something huge, something that required a lot of courage and determination. They wanted the City Council to devote some of its budget to improvements that would help get Harmon Field back on a path to greatness.
A HYPE team member demonstrates the new working water fountain at Harmon Field.
Speaking on behalf of the HYPE team, Smith says, “Our main concern was water. There was no water fountain for the kids. There was no water fountain for anyone. There’s a walking trail there, so you know people will get thirsty while walking. And there is no bathroom.”
Backing Up Their Big Idea
Although the youth knew what they wanted to do, they still needed to collect data and information supporting the need for improvements. They had to assess the park to determine exactly what was missing. Then, they had to get the community’s opinion on the park. While some HYPE teams may choose to conduct a survey, this HYPE team was confident that the community would support their desires. So, they petitioned as many people as they could.
“The kids went to the park on a daily or weekly basis to get signatures from anyone there. They could’ve been students, their parents, their grandparents, anybody in the neighborhood, and visitors,” says Smith. “We have people that visit from out of town. Roland (NC) is right across the border, and I have seen people having a cookout a couple of times. And still, there was no water and no bathroom.”
After collecting around 250 signatures, the HYPE team was ready to approach the City Council. When advocating for something we want, many of us know that we have to be prepared before approaching leaders with a request. Elected officials and decision-makers at all levels want information about the issue, proposed solutions and community support before making any decision. For youth, it took courage to overcome such an intimidating task, to find their voice and speak to elected officials in a public setting.
Advocating to City Council
When advocating for something we want, many of us know that we have to be prepared before approaching leaders with a request. Elected officials and decision-makers at all levels want information about the issue, proposed solutions and community support before making any decision. For youth, it took courage to overcome such an intimidating task, to find their voice and speak to elected officials in a public setting.
The new playground equipment exceeded the team’s expectations.
Smith said about 15 youths attended the council meeting and showed solidarity wearing their HYPE t-shirts. It was their first time attending a City Council meeting for all of them. The HYPE advisors identified one youth who was outspoken and very active on the team to address the City Council.
“We made a folder and passed it out to everybody on the City Council so they would follow along with us as we talked. We showed them pictures of what the park looked like. And at the end, we showed them a convenient bathroom that wasn’t that expensive that they could actually put out there, and the bathroom had a place to put a water fountain in front of it”, says Smith. “We talked about statistics. It was all written down, and they had it so they could see it, visualize it, and see where we were coming from.”
Council members were surprised to hear from youth, a group of citizens who usually don’t speak at meetings or talk about issues or business that may affect them. Several residents complained about the lack of running water at the existing water fountain, but no action was taken. Perhaps that’s why the City Council agreed to fulfill most of the HYPE team’s requests.
The City Council did not agree to install a bathroom, citing concerns about misuse of the facility, such as potential crime, drug paraphernalia being left behind, lack of staff, and other deterrents.
“We’re going have to keep going back. I understand their concerns, but we’re still going to try to work on them and find a grant that would fund an employee because they desperately need a bathroom.”
The Proof is In the Pudding
The HYPE Advisors were surprised by the amount of new playground equipment.
Since installing new playground equipment and a water fountain, Smith has noticed an increase in adults and children at the park. They’re staying longer, playing longer, and enjoying the great outdoors. Even teens have been spotted using the walking track.
“I am so excited to go to that park now. They have a water fountain that’s working, and the equipment is beautiful. They put new equipment everywhere. I went to the park twice last week, and there have been so many kids out there playing. It actually made kids come to the park! It’s just beautiful to be sitting in the park now. You’ve got older people coming out there walking their dogs. We’re still excited about what we started.”
The ultimate goal of this HYPE project was to increase physical activity in Harmon Field. While there is evidence of that goal being met, the HYPE team gained an experience they can be proud of. They used their influence and voice to express a desire and a need for community health improvement.
“It’s a good thing for kids to get involved,” says Smith. “It’s something they get to call their own, something they can be proud of. They get a chance to use their input, and we get a chance to listen to them.”
Ava Dean, BSN, MPH, Out the Lifeline: A Mission to Families and HYPE Advisor, added, “I was going to say the same thing, to let them have ownership of it and not to let us as adults come up with the project, but to allow them. Once you allow them to do it and see the final project, they will walk away knowing, ‘Hey, I had something to do with this,’ and they will be proud of that. They will forever have that accomplishment.”
The HYPE team in Dillon indeed started something. The City Council plans to update the playground equipment in all its parks. The City Manager approved Dean and the Tobacco-Free Health Disparities Coalition to place a “Clean Air is Fair” sign to keep the park smoke-free. Smith and Dean have also discussed possible collaboration amongst local coalitions to volunteer and remove graffiti from the park shelter.
So, while the HYPE team certainly had a successful civic action project and learned new leadership and advocacy skills, they have also influenced other groups to answer the question, “What’s next?”
Rural municipalities are relying on increased community engagement to enhance amenities and opportunities for families to explore local businesses, as well as provide inclusive play opportunities for children of all abilities. Focusing on these types of improvements means looking at the built environment, which influences healthy eating and physical activity.
The built environment includes the man-made spaces where we live. When community leaders value the surroundings and what they offer to attract residents and visitors, there is an opportunity to create more liveable, thriving spaces for recreation and transportation purposes. In Ridge Spring, SC, community leaders are investing in changes to the environment to increase walking, bicycling, outdoor playing and the local economy.
With assistance from the Upper Savannah Council on Governments, the Town of Ridge Spring applied for a Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Mini-Grant to purchase and install bike racks and inclusive playground equipment. The small, rural Saluda County town wanted to encourage residents to become more active. They proposed installing bicycle racks at the farmers market and interactive sensory equipment at the community playground.
New and updated riders
According to their application, several public hearings related to streetscape (view of a street) projects and potential improvements related to walkability (a measure of how friendly an area is to walking) were held and residents responded. They were interested in being able to walk and bike to places more safely. There was also a desire to update the community playground. Like many rural community parks, the equipment was outdated, unsafe and unappealing.
With HEAL Mini-Grant funds, Ridge Spring installed a bike rack at the farmers market, providing opportunities for cyclists to secure their bicycles and feel comfortable while they browse and shop. At the playground, new sensory-related equipment was installed, which helps make the space more inclusive of children’s needs. Observations indicate increased usage of the playground and children are playing longer.
Through the mini-grant, the town found a new partnership with Kids in Parks, a non-profit organization focused on getting families and children to spend more time outside. The new partnership could lead to additional funding opportunities to assist with future projects. Leaders also have their eye on improving another community playground and placing more bike racks in other areas of the town.
