Frederick, MD

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: Falls are a leading cause of injury for older adults, yet Monocacy Village Park offered few ways to build balance and confidence. The city installed Kompan's Surface Challenge in the new SeniorScapes park, giving residents a safe space to practice walking on varied surfaces and improve stability. Older adults tested the equipment during a trial and learned about its benefits at a resource fair attended by hundreds. The permanent installation will anchor the park's grand opening and inspire similar projects, promoting mobility and social engagement for years to come.

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

Falcon Heights, MN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: The Philando Castile Peace Garden Committee prepared the site of its planned memorial garden honoring Falcon Heights resident Philando Castile, who was killed by police in 2016. The Committee completed surveys of the property, conducted soil testing and created renderings of the planned garden. They created mockups of a fence designed to feature community art, as well as a remembrance bench. The Committee also hosted community work days, where volunteers prepared the soil and planted greenery. In the months since, the Committee has continued to raise private donations for the garden's creation and long-term upkeep. They recently completed accessible pathways, the remembrance bench and art at the site. Located at the site of the 2016 shooting, the garden is designed to give visitors a space to collective reflect, explore solutions to combat violence and foster community agency.

Grants, NM

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: City Hall Park had limited seating and accessibility, which discouraged older adults from using a central public space. This project addressed these barriers by upgrading the park with new benches, picnic tables, planter boxes and refreshed landscaping. Older residents helped guide priorities through planning conversations and took part in cleanup and beautification days. The improvements made the park easier to navigate and more comfortable for rest and casual gatherings. Resident involvement also built a sense of ownership and pride, supporting ongoing care of the space. Together, these changes helped restore the park as a place older adults can regularly use to relax, connect with neighbors and spend time outdoors.

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