Harrodsburg, KY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: As the City of Harrodsburg approaches its 250th anniversary, Campbellsville University's Conover Education Center surveyed residents about their preferences for neighborhood beautification. In response to their feedback, the Center made streetscaping improvements to Broadway Street. The organization installed commemorative signs at both end of the street, which identify the road as Kentucky's oldest. The Center also added solar lighting, four native shade trees and concrete planters showcasing holly bushes. The new amenities represent improvements to an area which hosts a local festival. Project organizers say the effort also gave longtime residents the chance to engage with local leaders and share their stories and history.

West Chester, PA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The West Chester library's terrace was an empty walkway, leaving older adults without a safe outdoor space to read, socialize or access Wi-Fi. The project installed three permanent tables with seating, including an ADA-accessible option, added umbrellas for shade and a security camera for safety. The terrace now hosts programs and casual gatherings, expanding the librarys footprint. One ukulele club member said, "Finally, this beautiful terrace can be enjoyed!"

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

Cleveland, OH

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Public space activation

Description: The May Dugan Center, which serves low-income older adults in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood, hoped to create a welcoming gathering space for its Seniors on the Move program. To make the Center's outdoor area accessible, organizers outfitted the space with four ADA-compliant picnic tables. Additionally, the Center provided program participants with herb garden kits, allowing them to create windowsill gardens in their homes. Ultimately, organizers hope experience tending the kits will help SOTM participants hone their gardening skills, which they will use to plant flower beds and raised vegetable plots at the Center. This project is part of the nonprofit's larger mission to help older adults manage their financial, physical and emotional wellbeing, allowing them to safely age in place.