The Community Health Academy is an annual program of the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health that provides expertise and funding to help build healthier communities.

Mayors and city staff collaborate with each other and learn from local and national experts in this learning collaborative. Sessions in the academy focus on things that impact community health, such as childcare, housing, food systems, civility, and creating pedestrian-friendly environments.

The Community Health Academy features three online and two in-person sessions. The mayor from each city attends each session along with another member of the city staff or the community.

The cities that were selected through an application process to participate in the Community Health Academy are Caldwell, Glenns Ferry, Idaho Falls, Lewiston, New Meadows, Nezperce, Payette, Weiser and Wendell.

Each city will receive a grant for a project or program upon completion of the academy.

“There was so much interest in this year’s Community Health Academy that we invited the largest number of cities we’ve ever had,” said Kendra Witt-Doyle, Executive Director, Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health. “We look forward to working and learning with these cities to help identify best practices that they can bring back to their community to build a healthier Idaho.”

The 2022 Community Health Academy will be the fifth offered by the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health. Through the years, 15 Idaho cities completed the academy and earned grant funding for their community.