Youth Work Together to Improve Community Conditions

The Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program (CCROPP) and the Student Education Empowerment Development Squad (SEEDS) inspired a youth-led initiative to improve community conditions in Planada, California. The organizations assessed their community and developed a plan to improve its conditions by using Prevention Institute’s Tool for Health and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE). The SEEDS youth were asked to take photos of their community in an effort to connect their community environment to health behaviors and outcomes. The youth used the THRIVE tool and their photos, showing gang graffiti, an unreadable yellow school crossing sign and young people walking in the street due to a lack of sidewalks, to determine the most pressing issues in their community and develop action steps. This community exploration led to a municipal Pedestrian Planning Improvement Plan and created momentum for a state bill to increase fines for traffic violations in and around school zones.

The goal of this initiative was to pinpoint community conditions that were detrimental to health in the Planada, California community.

The Student Education Empowerment Development Squad (SEEDS), with the help of the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program (CCROPP), addressed community issues through a youth-led process using Prevention Institute’s Tool for Health and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE).

This initiative accomplished identifying community issues and creating action plans to address problem areas. The youth wrote opinion pieces in local media, presented to their county board of supervisors, testified before the California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, and worked on a CalTrans Environmental Justice Transportation Planning Grant. In addition, the students work led to a municipal Pedestrian Planning Improvement Plan and created momentum for a state bill to increase fines for traffic violations in and around school zones.