Dr. Meredith Powers (Social Work) received new funding from The Junior League of Greensboro, North Carolina, Incorporated, for the project “Parks for All People: Promoting Health and Wellness by Engaging Aging Populations in Public Parks.” D. Justin T. Harmon and Dr. Benjamin D. Hickerson are co-principal investigators on the project.

According to the abstract this project will focus on the health and quality of life needs of older adults in Greensboro through the rehabilitation of neighborhood parks to better serve their recreational and leisure preferences in public spaces. This project will benefit from the Junior League of Greensboro grant by building on an existing community partnership between the Department of Community and Therapeutic Recreation and the City of Greensboro’s Parks and Recreation Department. The abstract states that there are more than 100 neighborhood parks in Greensboro, with few of them adequately serving the specific needs of an aging population. The project’s partnerships for park enhancements are crucial in order to increase accessibility (e.g., wheelchair paths, benches) and participation of older adults in these public spaces.

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