Blazing the Trail: National and Regional Convergence for Healthy People in Healthy Places Amanda M. Navarro, Associate Director Jenné Johns, Senior Associate PolicyLink, Program Director, Convergence Partnership

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by Lifting Up What Works. ® Program Director

3 Steering Committee The Convergence Partnership is a collaborative of six major funders and the CDC engaged in multi-field, equity-focused, policy and environmental change efforts to achieve healthy people and healthy places.

4 Steering Committee The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nemours W.K. Kellogg Foundation Kaiser Permanente The California Endowment Kresge Foundation Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Technical Advisors)

5 Parks Sidewalks Grocery Stores Financial Institutions Better Performing Schools Good Public Transportation Fast Food Restaurants Liquor Stores Unsafe/Limited Parks Poor Performing Schools Increased Pollution and Toxic Waste Sites Limited Public Transportation Communities of Opportunity Low- Income Communities Good Health Status Poor Health Status contributes to health disparities: Obesity Diabetes Asthma Infant mortality Place Matters

6 Policy impacts the economic, social, physical and services environments Policies not traditionally thought of as health policies (transportation, land use, education, economics) impact health and obesity rates. Policy Matters

Goal Accelerate and amplify efforts to create environments that support healthy people in healthy places

Vision Healthy People Living in Healthy Places This vision will be realized when all neighborhoods, schools, preschools and workplaces offer fresh, local, healthy food and safe places to play and be active. This requires the broad expertise and influence of funders, advocates, and practitioners working across multiple fields to create healthy environments. 8

Strategies Equity-focused Environmental and Policy Change Multi-field Partnerships CONVERGENCE

National Policy Initiatives Access to Transportation –Federal Transportation Reauthorization Access to Healthy Foods –National Healthy Food Financing Initiative –Farmers market access for those receiving federal food assistance –Influencing the 2012 Farm Bill Federal Policy Advocacy –Health Reform –ARRA Community Grants –Sustainable Communities –Healthy People 2020 –Child Nutrition Reauthorization 10

Building the Field Locally and Regionally Access to Physical Activity –Violence Prevention-Healthy Eating Active Living Project –Joint Use in School Yards Philanthropic Initiatives –Innovation Fund –Regional Convergence Promote and support connections in the field Increase and leverage investments to expand the intensity, reach and number of efforts focused on policy and environmental change 11

National Partner Portfolios and Regional Convergence 12

Regional Convergence Structure 13 National Model Colorado Model Michigan Model HPHP Investments & Activities HPHP Community Projects HPHP Investments & Activities

Regional Convergence Goals Build new connections, leadership and capacity Seed, strengthen and leverage work in regions Help practitioners, advocates, foundations and communities maximize their efforts Stimulate resources for specific issues of local concern Increase possibilities and momentum for comprehensive policy change

Convergence Partnership Support Facilitated relationships across regions and with the national partnership Provide technical guidance, resources, and mentoring to regional conveners and program directors Provide communications strategies that help regions build the case for convergence and to recruit partners Help to identify, connect, and build momentum for policy change efforts at the regional, state, and national levels Conduct regional and national convenings

Strategies & Approaches Community Engagement & Indigenous Leadership Building –Policy & Equity Leadership Taskforces or Commissions –Community Investment Councils –Youth engagement (photovoice projects) & workforce development Silobusting –Creating multi-field, multi-sector partnerships and bridging myriad of community place-based initiatives Decision-making –Developing RFPs that require health equity component –Focus investments on underserved communities or to CBOs that are led by people of color –Providing funding in community organizing and advocacy

Achievements Widespread buy-in and commitment to convergence principles and approach Creation of a collective identity Stimulated action by funders, particularly in moving towards policy change Emerging funder leadership Peer-to-peer mentoring Twosies and threesies

Building the Ship While We Sail It We continue to strengthen and refine our strategies to: Build a strong, long-term collaboration structure Determine policy targets and priorities Move from framing to action and build capacity to do so Identify strategies for promoting equity and multi- field partnerships Cultivate leadership

Tools Policy Briefs –Promising Strategies for Creating Healthy Eating and Active Living Environments –Recipes for Change: Healthy Food in Every Community –Fostering Physical Activity for Children and Youth: Opportunities for a Lifetime of Health The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform

Communications and Evaluation Communications Strategic communications plan Message guide Logo & tagline Online and in-person communications activities Internal & External Evaluations The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts Federal Policy efforts Regional Convergence Innovation Fund 20

THANK YOU! Amanda M. Navarro, DrPH, MPH Jenné Johns, MPH Convergence Partnership