Nine Idaho cities recently completed the 2022 Community Health Academy, a learning collaborative that fosters learning and skill-building among mayors and city staff on how they can create healthy communities.

The attendees learned from experts on these topics:

  • Civility
  • Communications
  • Childcare
  • Designing healthy communities
  • Early education
  • Food systems
  • Housing

Each city earned $20,000 in grant funding to launch or expand a project or program in their community. All nine cities are using additional funding to maximize the impact of each project.

 

Community Health Academy participants pose during a walk audit with national expert Mark Fenton in October.

Here are the cities that completed the Community Health Academy and a short description of how each will use grant funding.

Caldwell: The city will make significant upgrades and improvements to Lions Park.

Glenns Ferry: The city is creating a pathway that will connect the park to downtown. The Glenns Ferry Heritage Pathway Project will be a collaborative project with many entities contributing.

Idaho Falls: The city is using its recently updated comprehensive plan to guide this process. The focus will be on creating community gardens, supports for additional dwelling units and making parks ADA compliant.

Lewiston: The city will be focusing on connectivity and pedestrian projects, with emphasis on projects near the high school, junior high, bus routes, and a grocery store.

New Meadows: The city will provide pedestrian supports along the state highway routes as Idaho-95 and Idaho-55 intersect near downtown.

Nezperce: The city is planning updates to Tennis Court Park.

Payette: The city will improve the crosswalk near Westside Elementary School to make it safer for students walking to school.

Weiser: The city will add a walking path and make improvements, including outdoor ping pong tables, to the city park.

Wendell: The city is creating a new park and will use funding to focus on pedestrian supports nearby.