Training on Equitable Community Engagement for Age-Friendly Communities

AARP Vermont, in collaboration with the Department of Health and the Lamoille County Planning Commission, brought in Tina Ansong from ChangeLab Solutions to provide a health equity training aimed at improving the built environment. This training was designed specifically for Regional Planning Commission & District Health Office Staff from across Vermont who are working with towns to enhance the walkability and livability of their communities.

At AARP, we know that changing the built environment to accommodate people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds is critical to improving our public health and to supporting local economies. It is also a key component to building social capital.  Social connection is vital to community health and success. In fact, people with strong perceptions of community belongingness are 2.6 times more likely to report good or excellent health than people with a low sense of belongingness. One of the strategies to improve social connection is to design a built environment that provides safe, welcoming and inclusive public spaces for people of all ages.

The recording of the training is linked above, and resources from the training can be found below.

Resources:
Presentation
Power Mapping
Power Mapping Your Way to Success