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The Senior Connection (2021) Print
2021 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Engaging residents in vibrant public places
└ Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Like many places, Blaine County struggled with community connectedness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. To combat this problem, The Senior Connection created the Wood River Valley Daffodil Festival. Over three autumn days, a multigenerational group of volunteers planted 30,000 daffodil bulbs at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden. As planned, the flowers blossomed during the festival, which took place the following spring. The volunteers included older adults, school classes, landscape companies and other community businesses. The festival -- which features food trucks, live music and garden tours -- is now an annual event.
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Wichita, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: The Wichita Public Library and Bike Walk Wichita launched three historical walking tours, which can be accessed through a smartphone app. It's all about inspiring curiosity in people about their hometown. According to Jeff Flor of the Downtown Development Corporation, Wichita has a lot of stories to tell, from the drugstore sit-in during the Civil Rights movement to the now-gone Victory Arch honoring World War I soldiers. To promote the app, library staff and volunteers participated in an open streets festival while wearing t-shirts with the message Ask me how to travel time.
Chelmsford, MA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: Chelmsford launched the Trails and Tales initiative to address gaps in understanding of Indigenous history and culture. The project installed mini, free libraries filled with books by Indigenous authors and kiosks featuring the town's Land Acknowledgement and educational content. Programs and film screenings led by Indigenous speakers deepened engagement, while volunteers of all ages built and decorated installations. These resources will remain in place year-round. One Girl Scout shared her pleasure with seeing the delightfully decorated library and said "The Little Free Library is at an unexpected and ideal location."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
New Orleans, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: Older adults at the Estates community lacked a reliable place to learn practical skills, access health guidance and connect with neighbors, which contributed to missed services and social isolation. The Housing Authority of New Orleans renovated and reopened the community center, adding a computer lab, new furnishings and flexible space for classes and gatherings. The center began hosting healthy cooking demonstrations and prepared the space for digital literacy training, with resident support staff on site. The space quickly became a hub for meetings and activities, with plans for movie nights, bingo and intergenerational programs. A resident leader said she was happy with the space and plans to bring residents together, highlighting its role in supporting learning, connection and aging in place.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Lincoln County, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Addressing community health
Description: When the Lincoln County Youth Center opened in 2021, children would run laps around the building's wide, circular hallway. To allow visitors to exercise, the Lincoln County Youth Commission created an indoor fitness track in the hall. With the track, the Lincoln County Youth Commission hoped to make the Center a welcoming space for residents of all ages. The rural community lacks sidewalks, making walking outdoors difficult for the community's older adults. The Lincoln Loop is ADA-accessible and offers a climate-controlled environment for people to exercise all year round. The path also includes stations where people can perform stretches and warm-up exercises.
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