Communities in Action

In response to concerning data about suspensions and arrests in New York City schools, the Dignity in Schools Campaign-New York (DSC-NY), along with its partners at area schools, launched a campaign to build student leadership capacity. The campaign’s focus was to promote positive interventions in order to reduce suspensions and other discipline incidents in schools. In the 2010-2011...

Children in South Dakota are diversifying their palettes and biting into an array of fresh produce through an educational program designed to increase their awareness of and interest in healthier eating options. Founded in California, the Harvest of the Month Program includes short, engaging, kid-friendly presentations that expose children to the history, health benefits, and taste of more...

In 2002, more than 30% of the residents in a rural, upstate region of New York experienced at least one major health condition that negatively affected their lives—from heart disease and diabetes, to obesity and osteoarthritis. Enter Fit for Life. A coalition of local agencies in the Adirondack Region of northern New York created the medically-supervised exercise program to improve the quality...

A movement has taken hold in Florida’s Pensacola area. Businesses, hospitals, local government and public health officials, educators, nonprofits, community health centers, faith-based groups, and community members have joined together to form Live Well Northwest Florida. Collectively, they focus on three priorities: tobacco use, healthy weight, and...

When fifth grade North Carolina teacher Laura Fenn faced the dual reality of dwindling P.E. and recess time and increasing pressure to maximize her classroom instruction, she got creative. Fenn developed The Walking Classroom to get her elementary school students up and moving without sacrificing their learning. Five years later, the national award-winning nonprofit program is used...

Active duty service members, veterans, and their families comprise approximately one third of the residents of Colorado’s Pikes Peak region. To more effectively meet the often interconnected needs of these individuals and their loved ones, the Peak Military Care Network (PMCN) has created an integrated care network for military members, veterans, and their families. “We began our...

The United Way of Southern Nevada (UWSN) was not satisfied with the status quo. After assessing the state’s existing early childhood education system, the group used its observations to develop a campaign that would improve the standards for quality, affordable, and accessible early childhood programs. Since UWSN identified early on the importance of getting key...

One Rhode Island not-for-profit is tenaciously addressing community needs with a robust food hub. Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s work to strengthen the local food system’s infrastructure helps rural farmers and residents, and its programs are building up the local economy, too. Farm Fresh Rhode Island provides more than 80 local producers with...

When a model preschool program in Utah’s Salt Lake County showed early results—improving kindergarten readiness and grade school performance—United Way of Salt Lake (UWSL) and community partner Voices for Utah Children took notice. Inspired by what they saw, the two groups took action to expand the comprehensive, high-quality early learning program across sectors, and put thousands of children...

In 2011, seven rural North Carolina counties had the chance to participate in the Multipayer Advanced Primary Care Demonstration Project (MAPCP), which pays clinics care management fees for chronically ill patients. Clinics had to be certified patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) through the National Committee of Quality Assurance (NCQA) to participate, but most did not have the resources to...