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City of San Leandro (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Engaging residents in vibrant public places
└ Engaging residents in vibrant public places
The City of San Leandro hosted a design charrette to engage residents -- including students and older adults -- in the planning process for a school gardening space. Historically, teachers and students interested in improving the space had difficulty connecting with community groups. The design workshop addressed this, bringing together local schools with Friends of the San Leandro Cree, StopWaste, and the Sogorea Te Land Trust, a local indigenous group. Participants brainstormed options to create an ADA-compliant outdoor education lab where residents can learn about gardening and the San Leandro Creek ecosystem. Ultimately, project organizers adapted curriculum developed during the charrette in the design for a second garden site at San Leandro High School. Organizers say the gardening sites will provide hands-on experiences for students and community members to engage in watershed ecology, gardening and indigenous history.
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See More Projects Like This One
West Baton Rouge, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge has been involved in community art and arts education for many years. The Council engaged professional writing instructors to hold two workshops for older adults in creative writing, poetry, self-publication and basic editing. They then invited participants to share their writing with the public at an open mic night. Project organizers also created a post-workshop online forum, allowing the cohort to continue writing together and receiving feedback on their work.
Omaha, NE
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: The North Omaha neighborhood has experienced economic challenges due to a local history of systemic racism and environmental pollution. ONE Omaha set out to invest in the community, supporting neighborhood associations' work to address local concerns. They hosted Omaha NeighborFest 2018, an gathering aimed at teaching residents community development skills. At the event, ONE Omaha conducted a series of workshops and demonstrations on how to activate spaces and engage people. More than 600 city residents attended, including those historically left out of local decision making. The event spurred tangible change in the neighborhood, including a beautification effort to install recycling kiosks and a new mural honoring the Tuskegee Airmen.
Chatham County, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: When the owner of the Bynum General Store in Pittsboro retired, neighbors established a nonprofit organization called Bynum Front Porch, which turned the shop into a community center and performance space. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, grant funds -- and the power of high-speed internet -- enabled the venue to livestream its monthly storytelling workshops and musical events. Bynum Front Porch set up a recording equipment in the space, allowing the nonprofit to reach older adults, former residents and others unable to gather in person. In the years since, Bynum Front Porch has continued to stream live performance and archive shows on its YouTube channel.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Oakland, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Community Gardens
Description: During the COVID-19 pandemic, community gardens became critical, allowing residents of Oakland and the East Bay to meet and connect with neighbors and grow healthy food. However, many community gardens lacked amenities that made them accessible for people of all ages. To close this gap, Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley added needed amenities for gardens throughout the region. By installing three picnic tables, four tool sheds, five Adirondack chairs, ten garden benches and more 30 garden stools, Habitat for Humanity was able to revitalize well-loved gardens and ensure more residents could access fresh produce locally.
Oakland, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Reconnect Communities
Description: In West Oakland, efforts to rethink the I-980 corridor moved ahead while residents who lived through the freeway impacts were rarely centered in planning. Older adults held crucial knowledge about how construction and disinvestment changed daily life but lacked a clear path to be heard. EVOAK convened focus groups and interviews with residents over 60, then hosted a block party that put these voices at the forefront. Stories gathered are now informing policy ideas and future planning, strengthening trust and advancing harm-repair discussions.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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