The Health Legacy Collaborative Learning Circle (HLCLC) Project
A few months ago I joined members of the Alamance Wellness Collaborative, a county-wide coalition that Healthy Places by Design supports, on visits to sites around Alamance County, NC. I helped organize this field trip so Collaborative members could learn about different built environment projects co-funded by Impact Alamance and local municipalities. We were learning […]
If you’re a changemaker who is committed to community engagement as an essential practice for advancing health equity and addressing complex problems, you are undoubtedly drawn to facilitative leadership. After all, you’re dealing with the failures of inflexible, hierarchical, and overly-specialized systems in order to solve these problems. And who wouldn’t support leaders who listen, […]
Imagine this scenario: you’re part of a group of summer interns working on healthy community projects, each with a specific focus that requires a deep understanding of the local context and engagement from residents. You’re excited to start talking to residents, and you know the assignment aligns with your interests. However, early in your project, […]
Some people leave a lasting impression. They live beyond their comfort zones, their vulnerability reminding you that if you don’t try, you almost certainly will fail. They speak their truth authentically and passionately, paving a way for you to search more deeply for your own. And they lead with a spirit of abundance that cultivates […]
While volunteering as a poll monitor yesterday, I helped voters successfully cast their ballots and documented their experiences to improve the process for future voters. As I stood near both Democratic and Republican representatives of Wilson County, NC making their case to voters in the final hours, I was reminded of a powerful lesson: ultimately, […]
“We think we want to do Collective Impact. How do we get started?” When asked this question by a staff of a nonprofit organization striving to improve the health of their community, we paused. “Why do you want to use the Collective Impact Model?” we asked. [1] They answered that funders and others were talking about […]
Maria Restuccio had never heard of a Splash Park before she researched others in North Carolina and across the country. By the time she completed her investigation, however, she had become Impact Alamance’s resident expert on splash park design, costs, features, and operations. This was just one of many tasks Maria was assigned during her […]
The Reverends Richard Joyner and Jeffrey Brown reached turning points in their careers when they realized that the early, preventable deaths in their communities—due primarily to poor nutrition or violent crime—were problems they could help solve. Through their authentic approach to community engagement, specifically with youth, both have created positive change that many in their […]
Active Living By Design is about to launch a fresh model for community-driven change to reflect the evolution of our field’s growth. It reminds me of how far we’ve come. Early in my career, I was talked into wearing a Minnie Mouse costume at a health fair hosted by the local health department. My small […]