United Way of Central Georgia's Community Schools United strategy is excited to announce funding from AARP’s Community Challenge grant program for its Path to Success project. Our Path to Success project focuses on promoting safe walking and biking to L.H. Williams and Burdell-Hunt Elementary schools through neighborhood enhancements. These improvements include maintaining litter-free walking routes, implementing safety education programs, and enhancing infrastructure to increase public safety. This project also uses a multigenerational approach to create increased social cohesion, a stronger sense of neighborhood security, and a more sustainable community.
Walking routes in the Pleasant Hill and Fort Hill neighborhoods, which are home to students from L.H. Williams and Burdell-Hunt are plagued by overgrowth and debris, posing significant safety risks for the children. The impact of these unsafe conditions is reflected in decreased attendance and compromised classroom performance. Recognizing the urgency to address these issues and support under-resourced households, Community Schools United has developed a place-based project to improve student learning conditions while fostering a sense of community. One key element of this project is the implementation of a "walking school bus.” The "walking school bus" involves community members walking with students to school as a large group. This impactful display of community will take place throughout the school year and especially during critical testing periods in late April and early May.
Dr. Sundra Woodford, director of Community Schools United, voices her support for this grant by stating, “the Path to Success increases safety for students walking to school at L.H. Williams and Burdell-Hunt. These safe trails are created for them by their families, neighbors, and friends who are rooting for their success.”
The Path to Success project goes beyond benefiting children in specific neighborhoods; it also actively focuses on enhancing the mental well-being of older adults within the community. Seniors often face feelings of vulnerability and isolation, and this project aims to address these challenges. Part of the project's scope involves providing safe walking paths for seniors, enabling them to connect and engage socially with other members of their neighborhoods. By fostering these connections, the project seeks to create a sense of community and combat isolation among older adults.
This project is a true community-wide effort, aiming to tackle the prevalent issues that hinder safe walking routes while promoting increased interaction and socialization among residents in the area. Through this project, Community Schools United strives to create a positive and inclusive learning environment for students, strengthen community bonds, and improve overall neighborhood well-being.
The United Way of Central Georgia's Community Schools United strategy works to transform the local schools into community hubs that promote student learning and community well-being. Community Schools United has coordinated community needs assessments, neighborhood cleanups, COVID-19 vaccine campaigns, after school enrichment programs, school staff mental health training, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) safety audits, and more.
The AARP Community Challenge is a grant program to make tangible improvements in communities that jump-start long-term change. It is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/Livable.
