MANSFIELD – America Walks, a national advocacy organization that promotes walking and walkable communities, announced this week that Ashton Grigley, a Health Educator at Richland Public Health, has been awarded a Walking College Fellowship.
The Fellowship will enable Grigley and 24 other advocates from around the country to participate in a four-month training program designed to strengthen local efforts to make communities more walkable.
“We are delighted to welcome Ashton as a member of our 2016 Walking College class,” said Ian Thomas, State and Local Program Director with America Walks, “This program was developed in response to our findings that access to technical assistance and a national peer network are among the most pressing needs for advocates working at the local level.”
Grigley, a team member of RPH’s Communities Preventing Chronic Disease team, will complete a six-module distance-education training program this summer and participate in the international Pro Walk, Pro Bike, Pro Place conference in Vancouver, British Columbia in September.
“I am very excited to be involved in the walking college. This opportunity comes at a great time,” Grigley said. “Richland Public Health and the Richland County Regional Planning Commission have begun work on an active transportation plan and the knowledge gained through this program will help boost our efforts to make changes in our community.”
The Walking College curriculum has been designed to expand the capacity of local advocates to be effective community change agents. Topics include the science behind the benefits of walking, evaluation of built environments, as well as communication skills and building relationships with stakeholders and decision makers.
At the conclusion of the Walking College, Fellows will develop a task-oriented Strategic Plan for improving walkability in their communities.
