Investing in the future of Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard & Winneshiek

Counties

Ann MansfieldCo-Convener & Project Coordinator

NE Iowa’s Food and Fitness Initiative

Planning Phase of FFI – Active Living www.iowafoodandfitness.org

Assessments of the Built Environment Walkable/Bikable Community Mapping (2008) Inventory of NE Iowa Built Environment (2008) School Use Survery (2008) NE IA Regional Safe Routes to School Project (2008) Children’s Bill of Rights Survey Results (2008) Park Survey in Winneshiek County (2008) Walkability of Trails in Decorah (2008) Community Assessments by Luther College Students

(2007 & 2008) http://www.iowafoodandfitness.org/site/data.html

Community Action Plan

• Strategy A • Ensure that school district policies & practices support healthy

living of children, families and community members. • Strategy B • Ensure that local, health-promoting food is available and

affordable in all communities, neighborhoods and institutions. • Strategy C • Ensure that communities have a built environment that

supports abundant opportunities for physical activity and play.

Tactics and Activities to Achieve Policy & System change…

Tactics • Support a regional built environment learning community and/or work group• Regionally increase youth and family participation in physical activity and

play every day. • Regionally advance community planning and policy change for spaces and

places for physical activity and play

Policy and System Change Target: Development/maintenance of infrastructure for walking and bicycling to and from schools in rural communities.

Activities to support change in target • Assessments • Educational Speakers • Safe Routes to School team in 6 pilot school-communities • Teams will create plans to promote walking and biking to school in their

community.

What is the Change? LocalQuestions

Potential Key Players Local

StateQuestions

Potential Key PlayersState

FederalQuestions

Potential Key Players

Walking and bicycling infrastructure exits in communities for children and adults to use for local transportation

How many children walk or bike to and from school?How many adults use walking or biking for local transportation?What is the infrastructure that currently exists for walking and biking?What is needed to improve the infrastructure for walking and biking?

School board members PTA Wellness Policy Team School Administration County/City Dept. of

Health, Planning, Public Safety, Transportation

Health Providers Biking and Trail groups

Are there state policies regarding children getting to and from school as it relates to walking and biking? If yes, what are they?What are the state opportunities for funding for development and maintenance of walking and bicycling infrastructure?

Iowa Dept. of Education, Iowa Dept. Public Health, Public Safety, Transportation

State Legislators Iowa State Board of

Education Iowa Healthy Kids

Task Force Iowa Partners for

Healthy Kids State Associations for

Physical Education/Activity, Sports, Health, PTA, Biking, Public Safety

What policies in the Transportation Bill relate to infrastructure for walking and bicycling?What are the federal opportunities for funding for development and maintenance of walking and bicycling infrastructure?

US Departments of Education, Transportation, Public SafetyNat’l Conference State LegislaturesHouse and Senate Committees on Education and TransportationStaff of Senators Harkin and Grassley; Representative Braley and Rep. LathamNat’l health, Public Safety and Physical Activity Groups

What might success look like?Increased number of youth walking or biking to school.

How might we measure the impact? Increased number of youth reporting walking & # bikes ridden to school on Fall and Spring dates.

What Activities will help us activate our Tactic, leading to policy and system change?AssessmentsEducational SpeakersSafety Routes to School mini-grants in 6 target schools.

Strategy C: Ensure that communities have a built environment that supports abundant opportunities for physical activity and play.Physical Activity and Built Environment Tactic: Regionally increase youth and family participation opportunities, programming,

and system/plans for physical activity and active play every day.Policy Target #4: Development/maintenance of infrastructure for walking and bicycling to and from schools in rural communities.

Safe Routes to School Pilots

• www.iowafoodandfitness.org/site/srts.html

Expectations for a SRTS pilot school:• Form a school/community SRTS Team• Attend the SRTS Regional Workshops• Review SRTS Assessment• Participate in monthly FFI County Planning Team meetings• Create a plan to promote safe ways for children to walk and or bike to and

from their school• Collect data Spring and Fall (# of children walking /biking to school)• Submit mini-grant reports by September 1, 2010.

Mark Fenton

2 day Visit to NE Iowa

October 2009

“Changing the fabric of our communities for the next

generation”

www.iowafoodandfitness.org -- About Us – Data & Assessments

Investing in the future of Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard & Winneshiek

Counties

www.iowafoodandfitness.org