Working on Wellness Environments
Working on Wellness Environments (WOW-E) is a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension multidisciplinary community development program

Utilizing Communications to Increase Park Awareness

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By: Valerie Jauregui and Kelsey Coats

There are many reasons people might not use their local parks and recreation amenities. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Urban and Municipal Parks program (UMP), some reasons cited by residents for nonuse are time, age/age appropriateness, proximity/connectivity, utilizing other resources, lack of knowledge, and usability (Walker et al.,2022). As practitioners, we cannot necessarily address some of these reasons (i.e., time), or they require additional time to address (i.e., proximity/connectivity). However, lack of knowledge is one barrier that can be reasonably addressed in the short term. The Working on Wellness Environments (WOW-E) and WOW-E communities have sought communication strategies to address the lack of knowledge of parks and public spaces for being active.

‘How do you Park’ communication campaign – Vernon, Texas

The City of Vernon Community Development department, Vernon Main Street and Tourism, and other partners identified a lack of knowledge of public parks, outdoor spaces, and ways to be physically active in the community. Together, they applied for the 2024 WOW-E Community Challenge to receive technical assistance to develop, plan, and evaluate a communications campaign to promote their local parks and physical activity amenities. 

With assistance from the WOW-E team, the local Vernon group attended WOW-E cohort sessions to define and analyze their audience, assess communication strategies to best fit their audience, complete an amenity inventory of all of the amenities available at their parks and public spaces, conducted community engagement to inform their graphics and messaging for the campaign, and planned their communication campaign and evaluation methods. 

The group kickstarted their campaign in May. Their billboard is currently running, and they have placed concrete clings promoting their parks around town. The group has also started posting on their social media profiles and will engage with their local community through messages, shares, and hashtags. The local team will continue to evaluate and monitor their campaign to gather feedback and responses. To learn more about these efforts, visit the City of Vernon Facebook page and the Vernon Mainstreet and Tourism Facebook page.

Concrete Cling (ground sticker) at local park
Concrete cling at everyday destination to promote campaign

WOW-E’s 2023 Active People Healthy Nation pilot awareness campaign

WOW-E collaborated with three communities in South Texas to pilot test a communication campaign to increase park and public space awareness for people to be active. The campaign was part of the CDC’s Active People, Healthy Nation effort to get 27 million more Americans active by 2027. Listening sessions found that an existing shared value among the audience was time with family and friends, which helped guide the campaign. Focus groups helped ensure that communication materials, messages, and imagery were relevant to the community. The focus groups also increased awareness themselves, as one participant said, “I did not know there were this many parks.”

WOW-E’s APHN awareness campaign ran for approximately eight weeks. The communication campaign consisted of billboards, social media posts, banners, ground stickers, bookmarks, amenity inventories, and maps of the communities’ parks and places to be active.  The campaign website included the maps and amenity inventories. Billboards included a short URL to the campaign website, social media posts included links to the campaign website, and ground stickers and bookmarks included QR codes to the campaign website. Social media posts, billboards, bookmarks, and banners were offered in English and Spanish. Different versions of the communication products ran in different communities. To read more about this effort, visit our blog! Interested in becoming a WOW-E community? Click here to see if your community is eligible.

Resources:

Walker, J.R., Lee, J., Gunderson, E., & Coats, K. (2022, September 20 – 22). If you build it will they come? the nonuse phenomenon. [Poster presentation]. 2022 National Parks and Recreations Association Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ, United States. https://agrilife.org/urbanparks/files/2024/12/Urban-and-Municipal-Parks-2022-NRPA-Poster.pdf 

USDOT Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Notice of Funding is Open

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USDOT Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) notice of funding opportunity is open. RAISE funds surface transportation projects that will have a significant local or regional impact. Eligible applicants are states, territories, a unit of local government, a public agency, and tribal governments. 84% of current RAISE grants are bicycle, pedestrian, or transit projects. If a recipient was involved in an Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment (ATIIP) project that was not funded, they may be able to apply for the same project under RAISE. Eligible projects include capital projects and planning projects. Deadline: January 30, 2025. Here are successful applications submitted by previous awardees: https://localinfrastructure.org/resources/winning-applications/raise/ 

TxDOT’s 2025 Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TA) Program Call for Projects Opens

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TxDOT officially opens its 2025 Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TA) Call for Projects for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and planning. The TA program provides funding to plan for and construct a variety of alternative transportation projects that improve safety and mobility for non-motorized travelers and mitigate congestion by providing safe alternatives to motor vehicle transport. 

Through TxDOT’s 2025 TA Call for Projects, the department will select projects for recommendation to the Texas Transportation Commission (commission) for FY 2027-FY 2029 federal appropriations consistent with anticipated funding levels associated with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and subsequent funding bills totaling approximately $250 million. Projects located in all areas of the state, regardless of population size, may be submitted under this call.

This Call for Projects features a two-step application process. The Preliminary Application (Step 1) provides high-level proposed project information to determine eligibility and funding opportunities. Following successful completion of Step 1, a Detailed Application (Step 2) provides more comprehensive project information. This two-step approach is intended to enhance the quality of project applications and to foster communication between prospective project sponsors and TxDOT District staff. Both steps must be completed in order for a project to be considered for funding under this program call.

TxDOT’s 2025 TA Program Guide and Preliminary Application (Step 1) are available on the department’s website at: https://www.txdot.gov/business/grants-and-funding/bicycle-pedestrian-local-federal-funding-programs.html. TxDOT’s 2025 TA Program Guide includes detailed information about eligibility requirements, specific procedures applicable to this Call for Projects, evaluation criteria, a map of the department’s district offices, a list of the District TA Coordinators, and a list of workshop dates for prospective project sponsors. 

The completed Preliminary Application must be received by TxDOT via Box.com, as outlined in the preliminary application instructions, no later than 5:00 p.m., CDT, on Friday, February 21, 2025. The Detailed Application (Step 2) will be distributed to eligible project sponsors on or about April 16, 2025.

Please attend one of the upcoming workshops to learn more about this opportunity. Below is link to the workshop schedule and invite.

2025 TA Project Sponsor Workshops

Want to improve your workplace food environment?  Try a healthy food policy! 

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By: Dr. Jenna Anding

Depending on your job, the workplace may be an oasis of unhealthy foods.  Whether it is the vending machine, potluck lunches, a celebration, or the random candy bowl sitting on someone’s desk, the workplace food environment can sometimes be a barrier for those who are trying to eat a little healthier.    

As the Working on Wellness Environment (WOW-E) program works to help communities improve access to healthy foods (and opportunities for physical activity), I’m going to challenge you in this blog to focus on one part of the community, the workplace, since many of us spend one-third of our day (or more) there and probably eat at least one meal (and maybe a snack or two) each day of the workweek. 

We recognize that not everyone is concerned about their food and beverage choices during the workday and that is okay.  However, a number of the chronic diseases that we face today are linked to our food choices.  For those employees who are trying to eat a little healthier, have you thought about implementing one or more food policies to ensure that healthy foods are available?  Don’t worry – we aren’t suggesting that you take away all of the unhealthy foods; instead, we are suggesting using policy to ensure that the food environment in your workplace has some healthy options available so individuals can meet their personal nutrition goals. 

Here are some examples of a healthy food policy for workplaces: 

  • For catered meals, adopt a policy that requires at least one healthy beverage option.  The easiest way to implement this is to offer water or unsweetened tea.  You can always offer sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners on the side and let employees choose. 
  • Consider adopting a policy that requires at least one or more healthy options in your vending machines.  Suggestions can include unsalted nuts, popcorn, and baked chips.  If you have an office refrigerator and provide complimentary snacks, think about low-fat yogurt or cheese sticks, or fresh fruit.  Apples and clementine oranges have a long shelf-life so you can minimize food waste.   
  • For office celebrations that involve food, whether it is catered to or potluck, create a food policy that guarantees that there will be at least one healthy option available.  This can be as easy as a fresh fruit salad, a healthy vegetable side dish, or even a tossed salad with dressing on the side.  Having some desserts?  No problem, just cut them in smaller portions. 

Offering options for healthy foods in the workplace shows that you support your coworkers and employees who are trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle.  If you aren’t convinced that a healthy food policy is worth trying, let me leave you with this to chew on:  a healthier workforce can lead to lower healthcare costs and increased productivity.  That is definitely something we can all support! 

Technician Spotlight: Farzana Ahmed

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By Leah Shafer 

When passion meets purpose, remarkable journeys unfold. For Farzana Ahmed, an urban planning technician, the path from architecture to community resilience has been both challenging and rewarding. As she prepares to begin her Ph.D. program  in spring 2025, her journey offers insights into the evolving landscape of urban planning and environmental management. 

Ahmed’s story begins in Bangladesh, where she completed her bachelor’s in architecture at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). While unexpected to some, the transition from architecture to urban planning represented a natural progression of her interest in how built environments shape communities. This led her to pursue an M.Sc. in Urban Planning at Texas A&M, which she completed in 2024. 

“Building relationships and understanding the broader impact of your work are essential in fields like planning and environmental management,” Ahmed said. “Technical skills are important, but engaging deeply with community stakeholders and focusing on projects that promote sustainable and equitable outcomes is crucial.” 

Since December 2022, Ahmed has been serving as a Program Aide with WOW-E at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services, contributing to various community health and wellness initiatives across South Texas.  

One standout project has been her work in Rio Grande City, where she spearheaded a walkability and wayfinding project. The success of this initiative wasn’t measured just in technical achievements but in how community feedback shaped the final design into something that truly served local needs. 

“I am particularly proud of the walkability and wayfinding project in Rio Grande City,” she said. “Leading efforts to design and plan active living infrastructure allowed me to incorporate community feedback into the design, resulting in outcomes that truly reflect local needs.” 

Alongside her WOW-E work, Ahmed has been actively involved with the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, working on U.S. Department of Energy-funded projects. These initiatives focus on addressing critical environmental challenges, particularly flood and air pollution impacts in Texas communities. A notable achievement has been her work on social vulnerability mapping using Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) in Southeast Texas. This project went beyond traditional mapping, empowering communities to identify and address their own vulnerabilities. 

Through these experiences, she’s developed crucial skills in spatial data analysis, participatory planning, and community engagement. Ahmed’s ability to bridge the gap between technical expertise and community needs earned her the Impact Award from Texas A&M’s LAUP department in 2024, recognizing her contributions to improving built environments and quality of life in Texas communities. 

“Working with WOW-E has taught me the importance of stakeholder engagement and collaborative planning,” Ahmed said. “This experience has enriched my ability to facilitate productive dialogues and implement community-driven solutions, especially when addressing complex issues like community wellness and urban park planning.” 

Her time with WOW-E has provided valuable insights into community wellness and urban park planning. Some of her most successful projects have emerged from facilitating productive dialogues and implementing truly community-driven solutions. 

As she prepares to begin her Ph.D., focusing on community-based development, environmental hazard management, and park & recreational space planning, Ahmed is building on a strong foundation of practical experience. Each project, community interaction, and challenge has reinforced her belief that creating resilient, sustainable communities requires both technical expertise and genuine community engagement. 

Her journey from architecture to urban planning, and now to environmental hazard management, might appear winding. However, it’s unified by a single thread: the commitment to creating better, more resilient communities for everyone. Ahmed’s story demonstrates that when academic expertise meets community engagement, the potential for positive change is limitless.