See More Projects Like This One

Erie, IL

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: This project will add accessible seating and a .25-mile all-weather walking path to a public park. These improvements will create a vibrant space for residents of all ages and abilities to gather and enjoy the outdoors.

Fort Worth, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Older adults visiting Al Hayne Memorial Park often arrive on foot to view the park's collection of public art installations. But nearby sidewalks were challenging to navigate, particularly for people with mobility challenges, as growing tree roots and setting earth resulted in an uneven walking surface. To make the four-block walking route more accessible and welcoming, Lancaster District Historic hosted a series of community work days. Volunteers addressed trip hazards, removed dead trees and painted over graffiti-covered walls. Since the cleanup, residents have volunteered to keep the space clean by collecting litter.

Pine Ridge, SD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: The Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation created an accessible, multigenerational playground at its Regenerative Community Development. Ahead of construction the organization held engagement sessions to get input from community members. Organizers wanted to ensure the playground's design was rooted in the Lakota way of life and elements of the site symbolize different teachings and traditions. For example, the facility's shape emulates the He Sapa, of Black Hills -- the heart at the center of everything. Play structures at the site represent elements of the Lakota creation story. With its grand funding, the Corporation installed a sidewalk and benches, including a semicircular bench to serve as a storytelling area. The Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation works to improve the lives of residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation, with its Regenerative Community Development focusing on providing culturally appropriate physical spaces for liberation and healing.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

New York, NY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Reconnect Communities

Description: Busy roadways, extreme heat and aging infrastructure have made everyday walking difficult for many older adults, limiting access to transit, green space and daily errands. Transportation Alternatives addressed this by bringing residents directly into neighborhood walk audits that focused on real conditions older adults face, from uneven sidewalks and unsafe crossings to lack of shade and seating. Participants documented barriers and assets using a structured worksheet that made it easier to share concerns without relying on technology or direct advocacy. The walks turned lived experience into usable evidence that is now informing street planning and safety discussions. In one neighborhood, extreme heat during the walk underscored the urgency of climate-resilient pedestrian design. By centering older adults voices, the project strengthened civic confidence and created a clear path for place-specific improvements that support safer walking for people of all ages.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Mount Vernon, NY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Expanding High-Speed Internet

Description: NewFlex Youth Programs addressed digital skill gaps that left many older adults struggling to use smartphones and tablets for everyday tasks, limiting communication and access to essential services. The project delivered hands-on, one-on-one technology support through intergenerational workshops. Youth interns and students met older adults in familiar community spaces and provided personalized help with messaging, email, apps and device navigation. As the program evolved, structured scheduling and hybrid options expanded access while reinforcing skills already learned. The approach built trust and normalized asking for help, leading to repeat participation and older adults proactively requesting sessions. One participant, a board member age 50 and over, said individualized instruction finally helped her master tasks she had struggled with for years and motivated her to continue learning after receiving a session summary and certificate.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

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