Town engages with Kate Andrews High School students to develop community-led, health-focused project
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In April 2021, the Town of Coaldale embarked on a partnership with Alberta Health Services (AHS) in the Healthy Communities by Design (HCbD) program. Since then, Town staff has formed and facilitated engagement with the local Healthy Communities Working Group to assess six health-related focus areas: physical activity, healthy eating, alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption, UV protection, and cancer screening.
“After completing the initial stage of engagement with the Working Group members, we identified that healthy eating and cancer screening were the top areas for further action,” said Spencer Croil, Director of Planning and Development at the Town of Coaldale. “Based on these observations, we proposed the Healthy Communities Strategic Plan as an ongoing commitment to our initiative and continued focus on health promotion in physical, social, economic and political environments.”
Once completed, the Healthy Communities Strategic Plan will outline the resources and actions required to develop actionable strategies in the six health-related focus areas.
“The Strategic Plan will allow us to weave health-focused initiatives into existing plans and ongoing projects in town, as well as introduce new projects that will enhance livability in Coaldale,” said Croil. “There will be more opportunities for us to engage with the community in the coming months to gain more insight on our focus areas.”
In May 2021, Town Council approved funding for a to-be-determined project based on the findings from the Healthy Communities Pilot. The project is to be determined following the engagement with students from Kate Andrews High School (KAHS) to propose a project that meets the Strategic Plan objectives. The students prepared a total of nine proposals which were reviewed by the Healthy Communities Working Group.
“Getting KAHS students involved was important for gathering insight and increased involvement from the youth community,” said Melanie Messier, Planning Intern at the Town of Coaldale. “The students came up with some incredible ideas and we believe that all proposals could in some capacity be brought to life through the funding currently available to us. We look forward to continuing to bring the community’s vision for a healthier Coaldale to life by delivering on community-led projects.”