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Chautauqua Institution (2022) Print
2022 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Park enhancements
└ Park enhancements
Residents in a rural area lacked affordable outdoor recreation, and few public pickleball courts existed despite the sport's benefits for fitness and mental health. The project built two courts at the Chautauqua Tennis Center, without fees, and launched with a ribbon-cutting and popular classes that drew participants of all ages. The courts now serve as a hub for active play and social connection, especially for older adults, and have sparked plans for future expansion.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Project Category: Park enhancements
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Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Lexington, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: To give residents a comfortable space to hold a conversation, the Lexington Senior Center installed new accessible benches and raised planters in Idle Hour Park. Guided by a physical therapy student's research, which showed many people are uncomfortable twisting to converse with someone seated beside them, the benches sit in a U shape. This placement allows people to choose whether to sit next to or across from one another. Each seating area also includes extra space for a wheelchair user to join in.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Corry, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Trails
Description: When the City of Corry developed its long-term strategic plan, one of its primary objectives was improving access to greenspace. Most residents live more than a ten-minute walk from local parks and trails. To better connect neighborhoods to a local greenway, Impact Corry transformed an underused, overgrown pathway into an accessible trail. Volunteers worked to install amenities along the route, including benches designed by local artists and a pollinator-friendly gardens. Project organizers also added solar-powered crossing beacons street intersections to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe.
Erie, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: Older adults in the East Bayfront neighborhood live in aging homes without basic safety features, increasing fall risk and discomfort. The project installed grab bars, handheld shower heads, reinforced railings, raised toilets and new lighting, along with smoke and CO2 detectors and window air conditioners. Residents reported feeling safer and more comfortable. One woman with a bad knee said additional upgrades beyond her initial request, including a raised toilet and faucet, made her home far easier to navigate.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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