Richlands, VA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Park enhancements

Description: An underutilized playground in a residential area will be upgraded to a Fit for Life multigenerational park for exercisers of all ages, especially older adults.

Augusta, GA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience

Description: Music and farming are deep parts of Augusta's culture. To support Black musicians and farmers through agrotourism, Garden City Jazz created a series of outdoor concerts, dubbed Soul Soil. The concert series -- which took place at local farms -- featured performances by professional gospel, jazz and blues musicians and attracted visitors from all around the region. The series also sparked important conversations about the inequities Black farmers face. This resulted in new partnerships, as well as the creation of cooperatively owned farmers market.

Binghamton, NY

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018

Project Category: Public art installations

Description: To improve the walkability and aesthetics of an industrial neighborhood in Binghamton, the Center for Technology and Innovation installed a 300-square-foot topographical map mural. Displayed along Wall Street, the artwork depicts a stretch of New York State from Cooperstown to Lake Erie. Organizers say the map aims to enliven pedestrian-friendly block connecting Northside residential neighborhood to downtown shopping areas and a regional transportation hub. The three-dimensional map, prepared with the help of the U.S. Geological Survey, is titled Here in the Heart of New York.